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F   THE    UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA 


LIBRARY    OF   THE   UNIVERSITY   OF 


HAND-BOOK 


ON  THE 


TREATMENT  OF  THE  HORSE 


IN  THE 


STABLE  AND  ON  THE  ROAD; 

OR, 

HINTS   TO    HORSE   OWNERS. 

BY 

CHARLES     WHARTON. 


WITH  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

J.   B.   LIPPINCOTT    &    CO. 
1873- 


HWE8T  ;  AGEN 

243O  W 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1872,  by 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT   &   CO., 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


LIPPINCOTT'S   PRESS, 
PHILADELPHIA. 


y  ;-t>\  *&    i  FHifiH 

&,  AK  OW        W»  •      »-*•»  §•>*• 

' 


ERRATA. 


Page  22,  line  15  from  top,  read  comma  after  "two;"  and  for  "  of," 

read  "  or." 

Page  23,  line  17  from  top,  for  "  pole,"  read  "poll." 

Page  68,  line  3  from  bottom,  between  "gait"  and  "should"  read 

"  for  several  days." 

Page  80,  line  14  from  top,  for  "feet,"  read  "  feed." 
Page  81,  line  15  from  top,  for  "  pains,"  read  "joins." 
Page  127,  line  24  from  top,  for  "  ten,"  read  "  two." 


V/T7 


TO  THE 

PHILADELPHIA    RIDING    CLUB 

THIS  LITTLE  VOLUME 

IS 
RESPECTFULLY    DEDICATED 

BY   THE  AUTHOR. 


PREFACE. 


So  many  books  have  been  written  upon  this  subject, 
that  the  present  writer  would  not  have  taken  upon  himself 
the  task  had  he  not  been  applied  to  so  often  within  the 
last  few  years  concerning  certain  ailments  among  horses, 
and  for  treatment  of  the  same.  The  experience  of 
Baucher  is  very  valuable,  but  unfortunately  very  little 
understood;  furthermore,  he  treats  only  of  the  manage- 
ment of  the  horse  and  not  of  his  diseases.  Of  the  cor- 
rectness of  his  system  there  can  be  no  doubt,  but  it  re- 
quires such  an  amount  of  study  and  labor  to  acquire  the 
knowledge  which  his  book  is  intended  to  convey,  that 
not  one  gentleman  in  a  hundred  who  reads  it  is  mate- 
rially benefited  by  its  perusal,  or  can  practically  apply 
what  he  has  read.  If  only  partially  understood,  he  had 
better  know  nothing  more  than  the  simple  process  of 
mouthing,  flexing,  and  causing  the  legs  to  move  back- 
wards, sideways,  and  forwards,  at  his  desire.  This  part 
of  his  system  is  condensed  in  as  plain  language  as  possible 
in  the  present  volume,  and  is  enough  for  all  practical 
purposes. 

It  is  proposed  in  this  work  to  treat  of  all  the  slight 
diseases  horses  are  heir  to,  cures  for  the  same,  and  their 

(7) 


8  PREFACE. 

general  treatment,  so  that  by  reference  to  the  contents  a 
gentleman  can  discover,  in  ordinary  cases,  the  nature  of 
his  horse's  ailment,  and  give  his  directions  accordingly, 
thereby  becoming  himself  master  of  the  situation. 

It  is  not  here  intended  to  underrate  the  skill  of  a  good 
veterinary  surgeon,  only  to  dispense  with  the  necessity  of 
sending  for  him  on  all  trifling  occasions. 

The  writer  has  searched  for  this  desirable  information, 
without  success,  in  the  many  books  already  published ; 
being  himself  a  lover  of  horses,  and  having  some  knowl- 
edge of  the  animal's  habits  and  requirements,  and  know- 
ing that  many  of  his  diseases  are  occasioned  by  ignorance 
of  the  simplest  rules  of  health,  neglect,  or  bad  treatment, 
he  undertakes  the  present  work.  It  is  with  an  earnest  de- 
sire to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  this  most  valuable  animal, 
as  well  as  to  assist  his  owners,  that  he  gives  some  plain 
directions  with  regard  to  his  treatment  in  and  out  of  the 
stable.  C.  W. 


CONTENTS. 


I. — On  the  Purchase  of  the  Horse 13 

II. — Care  and  Treatment  Generally. — On  Grooms  and  Stables     22 

III. — On  Driving,  for  a  Novice  and  Amateur 30 

IV. — Management  of  a  Runaway  Horse 36 

V. — Experience  with  Horses  Injured  by  Abuse  and  Neglect...     39 

VI.— Saddle-Horse 44 

VII.— Control  of  Head  and  Neck 49 

VIII.— To  Mount,  Ride,  and  Gait  a  Horse 52 

IX. — To  Leap  your  Horse 55 

X.— How  to  Ride 57 

XI. — Bridles  and  Bridling 60 

XII. — Ladies  Mounting,  Seat,  Riding,  and  Dismounting 66 

XIII. — Diseases  Incidental  to  Horse-Flesh — How  to   Discover 

and  Treat  them,  and  so  on 74 

XIV. — Diseases  of  the  Feet,  and  other  Parts 77 

XV.— Thumps 91 

XVI.— Corns 92 

XVII.— Wind-works.— Heaves 94 

XVIII.— Farcy 97 

XIX.— Glanders 98 

XX.— Ring-Bone 99 

XXI.— Poll  Evil,  or  Fistula 100 

XXII.— Chronic  Cough,  etc 102 

XXIII.— Eyes 104 

XXIV.— Lampas  and  Wolf's  Teeth 107 

XXV.— Lung  Fever 109 

XXVI. — Colds  or  Catarrh,  and  Megrims in 

XXVII.— Water 113 

(9) 


10  CONTENTS, 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

PAGE 

Medicine 114 

Acute  Founder 114 

Water  and  its  Uses  in  Connection  with  Founders 116 

Horses  that  have  been  for  Years  Grain  Fed 116 

Ringworm  and  Vermin 117 

Vermin  (Lice) 117 

Mange 117 

A  Cribber 118 

Egg  Blister 118 

Surfeit 119 

Hide-bound .., 120 

Roaring,  or  a  Roarer 120 

Broken  Wind 1 20 

Crooked  or  Sprung  Knees 121 

To  Cure  a  Shyer  or  Jibber 122 

Diseases  of  the  Urinary  Organs 123 

Brittle  Hoofs 124 

Clipping 124 

Blanketing  after  a  Drive 125 

Blanketing  Generally 126 

Hints  to  a  Gentleman  Traveling  with  his  own  Horses 127 

Bog,  or  Blood  Spavin 128 

Bleeding 129 

A  Balky  Horse  or  Jibber 130 

Economy  in  Feeding 131 

Colt's  Distemper 133 

Horse  Epizootic t 133 

On  Harness 135 

To  keep  Harness  or  Bridles  in  Order 136 

Conclusion 137 


ON  THE  TREATMENT  OF  THE  HORSE. 


CHAPTER    I. 

ON    THE    PURCHASE    OF    THE    HORSE. 

BEFORE  speaking  about  the  diseases,  treatment,  riding 
and  driving,  and  care  of  the  horse,  my  reader  may  say, 
"Let  me  have  one,  tell  me  how  to  buy  him,  what  are  the 
points  to  be  regarded,  and  how  am  I  to  examine  him  all 
over,  etc.?" 

It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  any  person  entirely  unac- 
quainted with  horses,  their  conformation,  constitution, 
and  qualities,  can  by  the  mere  perusal  of  books  make 
himself  a  judge,  or  in  fact  know  enough  on  his  own  judg- 
ment to  buy  without  the  risk  of  being  terribly  taken  in ; 
for  the  reason  that  it  takes  half  a  lifetime  of  careful 
observation  and  a  retentive  memory,  with  some  innate 
horse-proclivity,  to  get  sufficient  knowledge.  Nor  is  it 
every  man  who,  with  all  that  care  and  observation,  will 
have  the  knowledge  to  buy  a  horse  without  some  risk. 
Therefore  I  think  it  well  to  have  a  friend  with  you  who 
knows  more  than  yourself. 

Some  men  may  be  with  horses  all  their  lives  and  yet 
know  nothing  about  them.  It  is  true  a  man  with  some 
fondness  for  horses  may  gain  a  little  knowledge  from 
books,  and,  when  assisted  by  a  friend  as  described  above, 
may  make  a  very  good  purchase. 

Very  many  prefer  purchasing  from  a  farmer  or  a  breeder, 
2  (13) 


I4     ON  THE  PURCHASE  OF  THE  HORSE. 

but  I  prefer  going  at  once  to  a  well-known  large  and  re- 
sponsible dealer,  one  who  lives  by  his  business,  and  whose 
success  depends  greatly  on  his  integrity. 

Tell  him  exactly  what  you  want  a  horse  for,  how  much 
speed  you  want,  whether  you  want  him  for  light  harness 
or  a  family  wagon,  for  saddle,  or  whether  for  a  horse  of 
all  work.  He  will  then  look  around,  and  if  he  have  such 
will  tell  you,  and  say,  take  him  home  and  try  him. 


A  SLANTING  SHOULDER,  SHOWING  THE 
POSITION   OF  THE   BONES. 


A  SLANTING  SHOULDER  IN  ACTION. 


Then,  although  you  have  confidence  in  the  seller,  while 
you  have  him  on  trial,  apply  privately  your  own  and  friend's 
knowledge.  For  instance,  the  great  usefulness  of  the 
horse  depends  upon  his  legs  and  wind-works,  therefore  we 
look  to  these  first.  The  shoulder  should  be  long  and 
obliquely  set,  with  considerable  slope  and  high  withers, 
the  upper  arm  long  and  muscular,  knee  flat  and  bony, 


ON   THE   PURCHASE    OF  THE  HORSE. 


\j 


cannon-bones  short  and  flat,  not  round,  with  clean,  strong 
sinews,  pastern  joint  not  very  long  and  somewhat  oblique, 
the  feet  always  good  size,  large  and  round,  or  as  nearly  so 
as  can  be  found, — they  must  be  sound,  no  crack  of  any 
kind,  no  thrush,  corn,  or  anything  wrong  with  them, — the 
hind  legs  should  be  flat,  quarters  large,  strong,  and  broad 
when  looked  at  from  his  side,  but  square  and  solid  from 
behind. 

The  hind  feet  should  be  similar  in  form  to  the  front ; 
no  spavin,  curb,  or  thoroughpin. 
Back  should  be  shortish, — neither 
long  nor  short, — running  well  back 
to  croup,  that  falling  somewhat 
abruptly  to  root  of  tail ;  loins,  if 
a  little  arched,  will  be  an  evi- 
dence of  a  strong  back ;  barrel  or 
body  round,  and  well  ribbed  up. 
A  close-ribbed  horse  is  generally 
the  easiest  keeper. 

Neck  moderately  long,  convexly 
arched  from  shoulder  to  crest,  thin 
where  it  joins  the  head,  and  that 
so  set  on  that  when  it  yields  to  the 
pressure  of  the  bit  it  forms  some- 
what of  a  semicircle,  bringing  the 
chin  in  and  downward  near  the 
chest. 

Very  little  trouble  attends  the 
fore  management  of  horses  whose 
heads  and  necks  are  thus  propor- 
tioned. The  throttle  should  be  well  opened,  and  space 
between  the  points  of  lower  jaw  wide,  say  three  inches; 
head  should  be  long  and  lean,  not  beefy,  broad  between 
eyes,  neither  basin-faced  or  Roman-nosed,  but  a  happy 


A   HORSE  S    FORE   LIMB. 


i6 


ON  THE  PURCHASE  OF  THE  HORSE. 


medium ;  ears  fine,  short,  and  pointed ;  eyes  large,  clear, 
and  prominent;  nostrils,  wide  and  well-opened. 


Such  a  horse,  if  free  from  physical  defects  or  vice, 
cannot  fail,  but  must  be  a  good  one  for  almost  any  re- 
quired purpose. 

His  eyes  of  course  must  be  very  carefully  examined  for 


FOUR    YEARS    OLD. 


any  evidence  of  inflammation;  if  found,  it  is  objectionable, 
though  it  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  seller  as  arising  from 
some  outside  cause  ;  but  still  it  is  always  objectionable. 


ON  THE  PURCHASE    OF   THE  HORSE.  17 

Of  the  manner  of  testing  his  age  I  will  now  speak.     It 
is  to  be  presumed  that  a  horse  is  not  bought  for  plea«vire 


FIVE  YEARS   OLD. 


One  upper  corner  permanent  incisor  has  been  cut.     The  lower  corner  milk  incisor 
is  still  retained. 


SIX  YEARS  OLD. 


purposes  until  he  is  at  least  five  years  old,  as  between  four 
and  five  years  the  mouth  becomes  full,  and  from  a  colt  he 


i8 


ON  THE  PURCHASE  OF  THE  HORSE. 


becomes  a  horse,  and  between  four  and  five  should  be 
used  very  carefully  and  moderately. 

Supposing  him  to  be  five  years  old,  his  mouth  is  full, 


SEVEN  YEAKS  OLD. 


and  his  tush  considerably  but  not  fully  grown.    At  six  the 
tush  is  full  grown,  flat,  and  sharp,  and  there  is  a  little  de- 


EIGHT  YEARS  OLD. 


pression  in  the  centre  of  the  front  teeth ;  the  profile  of  his 
mouth  at  six  years  exhibits  his  teeth  in  a  firm,  upright 


ON  THE  PURCHASE  OF  THE  HORSE.     19 

position,  which  is  lost  as  he  grows  older.  At  seven  the 
tush  is  beginning  to  round  a  little,  and  the  mark  or  de- 
pression in  the  four  central  nippers  is  somewhat  worn  out. 


TWELVE  YEARS  OLD. 


At  eight  the  tush  is  rounder  in  every  way,  and  the  mark 
is  gone  from  all  the  bottom  nippers.  At  nine,  and  until 
ten,  all  marks  on  the  nippers  are  gone  and  the  tush  per- 


TWENTY  YEARS  OLD. 


fectly  round ;  after  this  it  is  a  mere  matter  of  conjecture, 
based  upon  the  appearance  of  the  front  teeth,  their  length, 
slanting  appearance,  etc.  It  must  here  be  observed  that 


20 


ON  THE  PURCHASE  OF  THE  HORSE. 


mares  have  no  tush,  except  an  apology  for  one,  which 
comes  when  she  is  about  seven  years  old,  and  soon  dis- 
appears. 


THIRTY  YEAHb 


So  much  concerning  his  age  and  the  way  to  test  it.  For 
further  information  see  Mayhew's  "Horse  Management, 
illustrated  edition  by  J.  B.  Lippincott  &  Co. 


A   FAIR   HORSE   FOR   SADDLE   OR    HARNESS. 

His  wind  should  also  be  carefully  tested,  as  a  horse 
with  the  slightest  imperfection  of  wind-passages  or  lungs 
should  be  at  once  rejected ;  broken  wind,  heaves,  or  any- 
thing of  that  kind  can  be  detected  immediately  by  any 


ON  THE   PURCHASE    OF   THE   HORSE.  2i 

one  knowing  anything  about  horses.  I  would  not  advise 
any  one  to  purchase  a  horse  with  anything  the  matter  with 
his  wind,  as  it  is  pretty  sure  to  become  worse. 

It  is  well  also  to  feel  the  pulsations  of  the  horse's  heart,, 
inasmuch  as  a  lurking  disease  may  exist  there  of  which 
the  seller  himself  is  ignorant.  The  best  place  to  examine 
the  beating  of  the  heart  is  immediately  behind  the  elbow, 
on  the  left  side ;  the  hand  applied  flat  against  the  ribs 
will  enable  you  to  determine  the  number  of  pulsations. 
The  ear  also  so  applied  will  give  you  the  regularity  or 
irregularity  of  the  same.  A  bounding  action  is  an 
evidence  of  something  wrong ;  a  quickened  and  irregular 
respiration  is  also  an  evidence  of  disease.  Just  here  a  few 
words  on  the  subject  of  the  pulse :  a  horse's  pulse  in  perfect 
health  should  beat  about  thirty-four  times  to  the  minute ; 
to  feel  that,  apply  the  ringer  to  the  lower  jaw,  where,  or  a 
little  behind  where  the  submaxillary  artery,  vein,  and 
parotid  duct  come  from  under  the  jaw,  or  close  up  to 
the  lower  part  of  the  neck,  the  pulse  is  easily  counted 
and  its  character  determined.  On  the  side  where  some 
feel  the  pulse  it  can  be  counted,  but  its  character  not  so 
well  determined,  as  there  is  no  hard  body  to  press  against, 
such  as  the  jaw-bone.  A  pulse  of  forty-five  to  fifty-five 
indicates  fever  to  some  extent,  from  sixty  to  seventy-five  a 
decidedly  high  case  of  fever,  from  that  upwards  it  becomes 
more  dangerous  at  every  pulsation.  A  horse  seldom  lives 
after  his  pulse  reaches  a  hundred.  If  the  pulse  is  over 
forty  or  forty-five  you  had  better  reject  him,  in  view  of  his 
being  in  a  feverish  condition.  It  is  also  important  to 
know  how  to  determine  his  pulse,  as  it  may  happen  in  the 
course  of  time,  to  save  his  life,  that  bleeding  should  be 
resorted  to ;  then  your  knowledge  will  be  of  service  in 
letting  you  know  when  he  is  becoming  weak,  as  you  should 
then  stop  the  flow. 


22  ON  GROOMS  AND  STABLES. 


CHAPTER  II. 

CARE   AND    TREATMENT   GENERALLY. ON    GROOMS    AND 

STABLES. 

HAVING  spoken  of  the  most  important  points  to  be 
looked  at  or  decided  upon,  I  will  now  suppose  my 
reader  in  possession  of  one  or  more  sound  horses;  the 
next  important  feature  is  to  keep  them  so. 

A  good  groom  is  indispensable.  His  attributes  should 
be  sobriety,  carefulness,  industry,  honesty,  truthfulness, 
and  a  fondness  for  and  general  knowledge  of  how  to  feed 
and  clean  his  charges.  On  engaging  him — supposing  him 
to  answer  all  the  above  requirements — make  it  the  most 
important  feature  in  your  bargain  (put  it  down  in  black 
and  white  for  fear  of  any  misunderstanding)  that  he  is  not 
to  give  medicine  of  any  kind  or  in  any  shape  to  any  of 
your  horses  without  consulting  you,  not  even  flaxseed.  A 
very  common  custom  is,  in  the  spring,  when  new  horses 
come  from  the  dealers,  to  give  them  a  ball  or  two  of  flax- 
seed,  either  whole  or  ground,  in  order  to  make  them  shed 
quickly  and  look  to  the  credit  of  the  groom.  This  is  all 
wrong.  I  have  known  many  fine  horses  ruined  by  it,  their 
pores  are  opened  by  such  treatment,  and  cold  and  fevers 
often  follow  to  their  lasting  injury.  A  little  salt  now  and 
then,  or  clay,  is  all  they  want,  with  good  care,  regular 
feeding,  rubbing,  and  careful  examination  of  their  feet. 

ist.  In  the  stable,  the  circulation  of  air  should  be  good, 
without  a  possibility  of  the  horse  being  subjected  to  a 
draught ;  the  common  plan — of  a  hole  three  or  four  inches 
wide  by  six  high  immediately  in  front  of  him,  so  that  a 


ON  GROOMS  AND   STABLES.  23 

draught  can  strike  him  on  the  breast — is  very  wrong.  Neg- 
ligence in  this  matter  is  such  a  fruitful  source  of  disease 
that  I  only  wonder  the  practice  is  not  discarded;  as  a 
draught  to  a  horse,  coming  in  heated  and  blown,  is  as 
injurious  as  the  same  to  a  man,  and  even  more  so,  creat- 
ing rheumatism,  chills,  and  often  a  bad  founder.  Of  the 
cause  of  the  latter  both  the  owner  and  groom  are  in 
ignorance;  the  former  says  he  did  not  water  him  when 
warm,  and  the  latter  attests  that  he  was  careful  also,  yet 
the  mischief  is  done.  To  prevent  this  the  air-holes  should 
be  above  the  horse's  head  some  feet, — I  c^o  not  care  how 
high,  so  that  there  are  a  sufficient  number  of  them  on  both 
sides  to  create  a  current  of  air.  Their  height  of  course 
must  be  regulated  by  the  ceiling :  the  higher  you  can  get 
this  the  better,  at  least  so  high  that  in  any  sudden  jerking 
up  of  the  head  the  horse  cannot  by  any  possibility  strike 
his  pole  or  top  of  his  head,  as  one  or  two  such  bumps 
will  very  likely  produce  poll-evil. 

2d.  The  trough  and  hay -box  should  be  boarded  up 
entirely,  making  it  impossible  for  him  to  get  his  legs,  head, 
or  neck  under  them ;  this  is  to  prevent  a  cast  and  save 
him  from  serious  injury.  The  finest  mare  I  ever  owned 
had  her  fore  leg  broken  by  such  a  cast.  The  hay-box 
should  be  free  from  anything  like  studding  in  front,  and 
from  every  other  hard  substance,  lest,  in  case  of  the  horse 
throwing  his  head  suddenly  out  of  the  box  while  feeding, 
he  should  come  in  contact  with  a  piece  of  studding,  which 
would  produce,  most  likely,  the  same  result  as  in  the  case 
of  striking  the  ceiling,  viz.  poll-evil. 

3d.  As  to  the  floor,  generally  this  is  all  of  plank.  The 
horse  is  more  easily  kept  clean  about  the  legs,  standing  on 
a  floor  of  plank,  though  at  the  expense  of  his  feet  it  is 
true.  The  best  plan  is  to  have  two  stalls,  one  with  a  clay 
floor  for  day,  and  one  with  a  plank  floor  for  night.  But 


24  ON  GROOMS  AND   STABLES. 

as  this  seems  too  much  waste  of  room,  especially  in  cities, 
where  such  a  double  amount  of  space  is  expensive,  I 
propose  to  do  with  one  stall,  have  that  partly  with  a  clay 


bottom,  that  is  two  feet  back  from  the  hay-box  of  clay; 
it  need  only  be  dampened,  not  wet  or  muddy,  just  to  keep 
his  fore  feet  cool.  Then,  plank  from  that  back;  just  where 
plank  joins  the  clay,  run  a  narrow  strip,  half  an  inch  high, 


ON  GROOMS  AND    STABLES.  25 

across,  to  keep  the  clay  from  working  back ;  let  the  plank 
have  sufficient  fall  to  carry  off  the  water,  say  two  inches : 
the  less  fall  the  better,  as  the  horse  should  stand  on  a 


perfect  level;  still,  you  must  have  enough  to  carry  the 
water  to  a  gutter  behind  the  stall.  The  sides  should  be  high 
enough  to  prevent  any  possibility  of  their  biting  one  an- 
other, at  least  six  and  a  half  to  eight  feet  in  height.  It  is 
B  3 


26 


ON  GROOMS  AND   STABLES. 


not  uncommon  for  one  horse  to  bite  the  end  off  another's 
ear ;  it  may  be  only  for  fun,  but  it  makes  an  ugly-shaped 
ear,  and  has  to  be  trimmed  down  into  shape,  and  the 


A    MODERN   STABLE,    AS    IT    MAY    BE    ADAPTED   AND    IMPROVED. 

other  to  match  it  must  be  cut  in  the  same  style.  The 
stall  should  also  be  long  enough  to  suffer  the  horse  to  lie 
in  it,  and  not  with  his  hinder  parts  out  of  it.  Six  and  a 
half  to  seven  feet  from  hay-box  to  end  of  stall  is  not  too 
much.  Many  fine  horses  are  ruined  by  getting  their  feet 
and  legs  in  their  neighbors'  stalls,  and  in  attempting  to  get 


ON  GROOMS  AND   STABLES.  27 

up  slip  again  and  again,  and  are  sometimes  strained  across 
the  loins  and  ruined  for  life.  In  a  gentleman's  stable,  in 
England,  they  would  have  only  three  box-stalls  where  we 
have  four  common  ones.  Their  hay-loft,  instead  of  being 
above  the  stable,  where  it  necessarily  becomes  more  or  less 
affected  by  the  noxious  gases  from  the  stable,  is  situated  on 
one  side,  and  there  is  a  stout  partition  between.  The  Eng- 
lish box-stall  is  of  all  others  the  most  conducive  to  a  horse's 
comfort;  he  is  not  obliged  to  stand  in  all  sorts  of  shapes 
to  get  himself  level,  and  the  floors  being  of  small  pebble 
stones  nicely  laid  in  clay,  make  a  most  durable  floor  as 
well  as  a  cooling  one  for  his  feet.  In  this  stall  the  horse 
has  not  a  halter.  In  common  stalls  the  halter  should  not 
be  over  three  and  a  half  feet  from  the  chin-strap  to  the 
ring  in  box. 

4th.  On  Cleaning. — The  next  thing  to  be  considered  is 
where  and  how  should  the  horse  be  cleaned ;  not  in  his 
stall,  but  out  of  the  stable,  if  that  is  possible,  yet  in  an 
outside  shed.  In  the  stall,  the  dandruff  or  dust  that  your 
groom  is  working  to  get  out  of  him  to  some  extent  neces- 
sarily settles  back  on  him,  but  if  cleaned  outside  it  is 
blown  off  by  the  air.  Half  an  hour  is  ample  time  to  clean 
a  horse  for  ordinary  purposes. 

First  apply  the  curry-comb  all  over,  and  this  should 
not  be  so  sharp  as  to  annoy  the  animal,  but  made  suffi- 
ciently rough  in  the  teeth  to  reach  the  skin  and  work  up 
the  dandruff  to  the  surface  ;  then  apply  a  wisp  of  straw  all 
over  the  body,  head,  and  legs,  then  a  good  brushing,  not 
with  a  soft  brush,  but  one  that  reaches  the  skin  and  takes 
out  with  it  the  dust  stirred  up  by  the  comb  and  wisp. 
Brush  out  mane  and  tail,  and  he  is  then  ready  for  his 
day's  work  or  feed,  not  omitting  the  cleaning  out  of  his 
feet,  particularly  the  front  ones;  his  hind  ones  seldom 
require  looking  at.  Any  blacksmith  can  make  you  a  hook 


2g  ON  GROOMS  AND   STABLES. 

to  use  for  this  purpose ;  I  have  never  seen  them  for  sale. 
Our  charge  being  now  ready  for  his  feed,  that  must  be 
regulated  according  to  circumstances,  size  of  the  animal, 
and  amount  of  labor  he  is  called  on  to  perform.  As  I  am 
now  simply  treating  of  a  gentleman's  horse  of  all  work, 
I  can  only  give  general  instructions,  to  be  altered  to  suit 
circumstances. 

5th.  Feeding,  Watering,  and  Dressing. — First  feed  in 
the  morning,  a  small  wisp  of  hay,  about  one  pound,  after 
that  four  quarts  of  good  oats,  well  sifted;  water  before  or 
after  eating,  as  he  seems  to  drink  most  satisfactorily  to 
himself. 

At  noon  his  feed  should  be  one  pound  of  hay  and  only 
two  quarts  of  oats,  particularly  if  he  is  booked  for  an 
afternoon  drive.  At  night  when  he  comes  in  after  a  sharp 
drive,  somewhat  warm  or  blown,  as  soon  as  he  is  stripped, 
his  head  around  his  eyes  and  ears  should  be  rubbed  dry 
with  either  a  cloth  or  wisp  of  straw, — a  dry  cloth  should 
always  be  on  hand.  Wash  out  the  mouth  and  nostrils; 
give  nothing  to  drink  yet.  Then  straighten  his  hair  all 
over  with  a  card ;  if  he  is  very  wet,  rub  his  hair  both  ways 
with  a  wisp  of  straw  or  a  hemp  cloth  before  using  the 
card.  Never  use  the  latter  on  his  mane  or  tail,  but  use 
exclusively  for  laying  and  straightening  his  hair  when 
warm.  Now  put  him  in  his  stall  and  give  him  one  pound  of 
hay  ;  while  he  is  eating  this,  dry-rub  his  legs  well.  This 
has  taken  about  half  an  hour ;  you  can  feed  him  now  or 
wait  another  half  an  hour,  as  you  please.  All  danger  from 
founder  was  over  when  he  had  eaten  his  hay ;  he  may  now 
drink  ad  libitum.  His  night  feed  should  be  six  quarts  of 
oats  and  six  or  seven  pounds  of  hay. 

I  prefer  chop  feed  at  night,  two  or  three  times  a  week, 
say  half  ship-stuff  and  half  corn-meal  or  chopped  oats 
mixed  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  cut  hay;  then  the  long 


ON  GROOMS  AND   STABLES. 


29 


hay  feed  to  be  diminished  in  quantity  as  you  feed  the  cut : 
this  feed,  of  course,  to  be  moderately  wet,  not  slopped. 
He  is  now  in  a  condition  to  pass  a  comfortable  night. 
This  is  for  summer  work, — of  winter  care  and  blanketing 
we  treat  in  another  place. 

6th.  Salt. — A  very  common  practice  is  to  keep  a  piece 
of  rock-salt  in  his  trough.  This  I  do  not  like,  for  the  rea- 
son that  the  life  of  a  gentleman's  horse  is  a  very  monoto- 
nous one ;  he  will  lick  more  than  is  good  for  him,  for  lack 
of  something  else  to  do,  and  necessarily  create  an  un- 
natural thirst,  causing  him  to  fill  himself  with  water,  and 
if  called  on  for  a  sharp  ride  or  drive,  is  unfit  for  either,  or 
if  forced  to  a  good  pace  may  sustain  great  injury  from  his 
distended  stomach. 

A  small  quantity  of  salt  two  or  three  times  a  week  is  a 
very  good  thing:  ground  alum-salt,  a  tablespoonful  each 
time.  It  is  always  wrong  to  let  a  horse  fill  himself  with 
water  before  being  driven. 

So  much  for  the  management  of  the  horse  in  the  stable. 


3* 


ON  DRIVING 


CHAPTER    III. 

ON    DRIVING,  FOR   A    NOVICE  AND    AMATEUR. 

FOR  one  of  the  former,  if  my  readers  will  permit,  I  will  go 
with  him  the  first  time  and  give  minute  as  well  as  general 
instructions.  The  horse  is  ready  before  your  door;  groom 
holding  him, — not  by  bit  or  rein,  but  with  three  fingers  in 
the  side  piece,  just  above  the  bit,  so  that  no  pressure  from 
his  hand  is  on  the  bit.  This  is  applicable  to  harness  as 
well  as  saddle,  and  I  may  say  particularly  so  for  the  latter, 
inasmuch  as — if  with  bit  and  bridoon  or  plain  curb,  his 
hand  is  sure  to  be  on  the  curb  ;  a  dangerous  position  if  the 
horse  starts — a  heavy  hand  may  cause  a  rear,  and  thereby 
unnerve  the  coming  horseman  and  injure  the  horse.  I 
will  just  say  to  my  young  friend,  Do  not  imagine  you  can 
drive  because  your  neighbor  can,  or  that  it  is  to  be  done 
properly  without  care,  judgment,  and  practice.  Now  we 
are  seated,  you  having  the  reins, — place  them  thus:  one 
between  thumb  and  forefinger,  the  other  between  the  third 
and  the  forefinger,  hand  half  turned  up;  hold  them  just 
tight  enough  to  feel  his  mouth  lightly,  and  speak  to  him  to 
start,  at  the  same  time  raise  your  hand  a  little.  Your  horse, 
if  an  experienced  one, — and  you  should  drive  no  other  to 
begin, — knows  that  you  are  unaccustomed  to  drive  as  well 
as  you  do;  try  to  undeceive  him  in  that.  Don't  be  afraid 
of  looking  green  by  taking  a  rein  in  each  hand  occasion- 
ally; as  soon  as  he  feels  you  changing  your  reins,  with  a 
light  touch,  and  then  putting  them  back  in  one  hand  again, 
taking  the  whip  in  the  other,  and  letting  him  know  you 
have  it  by  a  gentle  reminder,  he  will  begin  to  mind  his 


ON  DRIVING.  3! 

business.  Keep  your  hands  down,  as  a  rule, — start  him  at 
a  walk,  in  a  short  time  a  slow  jog;  now  feel  his  mouth 
more  sensibly.  You  want  to  turn  out  to  the  right  or  left, 
and  of  course  you  pull  that  rein  as  much  as  is  necessary, 
not  releasing  control  of  the  opposite  one, — a  slight  bearing 
on  that  keeps  him  balanced  in  hand  and  prevents  too  quick 
a  turn ;  or  a  vehicle  comes  up  suddenly,  causing  a  turn  out 
on  the  opposite  side  from  that  you  are  bearing,  that  pre- 
pares him  for  a  quick  turn  the  other  way;  and  now,  if 
necessary  to  do  it,  mt>re  quickly  to  avoid  a  collision,  a 
sharp  little  cut  on  the  opposite  side,  and  you  are  clear 
for  the  present;  immediately  then  straighten  the  bit  in 
his  mouth  and  jog  on,  with  a  light,  regular  bearing  all 
over  the  bit — neither  one  side  or  the  other ;  by  preserv- 
ing the  delicacy  of  his  mouth  you  secure  to  yourself  greater 
safety,  therefore  handle  it  as  delicately  as  you  would  a  lady's 
hand.  When  familiar  with  the  use  of  reins  and  your  horse's 
mouth,  you  can  hold  them  as  you  please, — whip  in  one, 
reins  in  the  other, — or  a  rein  in  each  hand,  with  whip  at 
same  time  in  one  hand  with  the  rein.  Again,  you  must 
learn  to  give  yourself  ample  room  for  turning  round  in,  by 
measuring  the  space  with  your  eye ;  that  only  requires  a  little 
care  and  experience.  We  are  now  off  the  stones  and  will 
have  a  quiet  drive ;  no  trotting  fast  yet,  even  if  we  have  a 
trotter  and  are  challenged :  time  enough  for  that  when  you 
have  a  few  months'  experience.  We  jog  quietly  for  four  or 
five  miles,  now  a  little  faster,  and  if  a  shady  spot  walk  a 
little,  then  jog  on  again  until  we  stop  to  water.  First  let  the 
hostler  wash  out  mouth  and  nostrils,  and  tell  him  not  to  let 
him  swallow  until  you  are  ready  to  start.  When  ready,  let 
him  have  a  few  mouthfuls,  and  drive  home,  feeling  a  little 
more  security  and  letting  your  horse  increase  his  gait  a 
little.  Same  rules  as  driving  out  generally.  Now  safe  at 
the  stable,  horse  to  be  attended  to  as  before  mentioned. 


32 


ON  DRIVING. 


2d.  Amateur. — The  amateur  driver  probably  knows  as 
much  as  the  writer,  and  what  I  shall  write  will  be  more 
for  the  horse's  benefit  than  his.  First,  the  start  out  should 
be  always  with  the  same  quietness,  and  I  hold  it  necessary 
that  the  whip  should  be  always  in  hand  going  through  the 
streets,  even  in  the  best  drivers;  not  as  a  punisher  exactly, 
unless  necessary,  but  generally  as  an  admonisher,  to  cause 
him  to  do  what  you  want  decidedly  and  quickly,  as  it  is 
oftentimes  very  necessary  in  a  turn  out.  The  rein  of 
course  tells  him  in  what  direction  you  want  him  to  go, 
but  does  not  let  him  know  how  quickly  you  want  it  done, 
— the  whip  does  that ;  if  there  is  no  haste  required  you 
want  no  whip, — the  tap  must  be  regulated  by  the  temper 
of  your  horse.  Now  you  are  off  the  stones  and  jogging 
along  quietly  behind  a  trotter, — the  speed  you  drive  at 
must  be  regulated  by  the  distance  you  want  to  go :  if  five 
or  seven  miles  out  and  the  same  in,  you  can  now  and  then 
let  him  go  a  quarter  at  half  speed,  then  slack  up  and  jog 
awhile,  or  even  walk, — off  again  at  a  fair  rate;  but  I 
would  not  allow  him  to  extend  himself  more  than  once  in 
your  drive  out,  and  that  for  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
mile.  Take  him  to  your  baiting-place  cool,  fresh,  and 
full  of  go ;  but  if  the  day  is  warm  and  he  is  heated  despite 
your  endeavors  to  prevent  it,  after  washing  out  mouth, 
nostrils,  and  over  eyes,  then  have  him  washed  with  cool 
water  all  under  and  around  the  root  of  his  tail :  it  has  a 
wonderfully  cooling  and  refreshing  effect.  A  few  mouth- 
fuls  of  water  before  starting,  and  you  are  ready  for  the 
road ;  raise  his  mouth  a  little  by  shaking  his  bit  in  it,  and 
you  are  off  at  a  jog.  Now  a  challenger  comes  along,  you 
give  his  bit  a  few  little  turns,  speaking  to  him  at  the  same 
time,  and  settle  him  to  his  trot  gradually,  not  too  quickly, 
for  fear  of  his  getting  excited  and  breaking  before  he  has 
properly  settled,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  he  understands 


ON  DRIVING. 


33 


his  business  and  has  squared  himself  for  a  settled  trot. 
Now  watch  him  closely, — with  hand  and  eye, — to  catch 
the  least  attempt  at  a  skip  ;  you  will  feel  it  on  your  hand 
a  second  before  it  comes;  just  then,  without  the  least 
delay,  move  your  bit  in  his  mouth  and  give  him  a  little 
extra  steady  pull;  the  chances  are  he  will  be  headed  off, — 
no  skip  or  break, — and  he  will  square  away  more  steadily 
than  before.  Now  you  know  he  has  been  going  pretty 
near  his  top  rate  and  will  not  bear  any  more  pressure ; 
take  him  in  hand  now  a  little  more  and  keep  him  within 
himself  somewhat ;  the  distance  to  speed  him  should  be 
regulated  by  his  condition  and  the  state  of  the  weather; 
of  that  the  driver  must  be  the  judge,  only  do  not  risk 
hurting  your  horse  by  too  long  a  brush.  To  go  a  mile  at 
or  near  a  three-minute  gait  is  enough  for  almost  any  horse 
not  in  absolute  training  and  in  tip-top  condition ;  it  is 
the  protracted  strain  that  injures  the  horse's  legs  and  wind- 
works,  which  an  occasional  let-up  would  prevent.  One 
word  more,  and  I  have  done 
with  the  amateur :  walk  your 
horse  quietly  now  for  the  last 
mile  just  before  getting  to  the 
stable;  take  him  there  cool  if 
possible,  and  have  him  at- 
tended to  properly  before  feed- 
ing; but  always  examine  his 
front  feet  immediately  on  his 
being  taken  out  of  harness,  as 
a  stone  wedged  between  the 
frog  and  shoe  .might,  if  allowed 
to  remain  overnight,  produce  a 
stone  bruise  and  lame  him  ;  or 
a  nail  picked  up,  although  it 
may  not  have  gone  in  far  enough  to  hurt  him,  yet  if 


ru 
\  u 


ILLUSTKATING  HOW  LARGE  AND 
SMALL  STONES  BECOME  IMPACTED 
BETWEEN  THE  SOLE  AND  THE 
WEB  OF  THE  SHOE. 


34 


ON  DRIVING. 


allowed  to  remain  might,  from  his  weight  on  it,  get 
worked  in  by  morning  so  as  to  ruin  him:  lock-jaw  is 
often  so  produced.  If  you  find  after  being  cleaned  out 
they  are  more  or  less  feverish,  stop  with  cow-dropping, 
then  clean  out  again  in  the  morning,  and  he  will  be  ready 
for  his  drive  again  that  day. 

A  perfect  driver  keeps  up  a  sort  of  electric  continuity 
between  his  hand  and  his  horse's  mouth,  in  consequence 
the  latter  becomes  so  extremely  fine  and  sensitive  to  the 
former  that  a  slight  motion  will  very  often  stop  a  skip  or 
break.  Before  leaving  this  subject  entirely  it  occurs  to  me 
to  add  something  on  the  importance  of  the  word  Wo. 

3d.  It  is  a  very  good  habit  to  accustom  your  horse  to 
stop  quickly  at  the  word  given  sharply, — he  must  of 
course  be  so  taught.  Have  a  plain  snaffle  bridle  put  on, 
and  take  him  in  the  riding-room,  walk  beside  him,  caress, 
and  talk  to  him,  stop  suddenly  and  say  Wo, — he  will 
stop  because  you  do ;  and  by  repetition  he  begins  to 
associate  the  word  and  the  action,  and  to  stop  at  the 
word.  Now  be  a  little  more  particular,  step  a  few  feet  in 
front  of  him  and,  with  uplifted  finger,  looking  him  straight 
in  the  eye,  give  the  word  Wo.  Give  him  a  few  lessons 
daily  of  five  or  ten  minutes  each,  and  he  will  understand 
what  you  want.  So  modulate  your  voice  as  that  a  sharp, 
quick  word  stops  him  suddenly,  whereas  a  prolonged 
Woa  does  it  gradually.  Whenever  he  does  exactly  right 
reward  him  by  patting  approval ;  he  understands  that  as 
well  as  you. 

Carry  out  the  same  whilst  driving.  After  a  few  days' 
quiet  practice  with  him  you  may  relax  the  reins,  so  as  not 
to  pull  at  all ;  let  him  feel  they  are  so,  and  stop  him  at 
the  word ;  if  he  answers  satisfactorily,  get  out  and  pat 
him  and  give  him  a  tuft  of  grass ;  in  a  few  minutes  you 
can  do  it.  Now,  going  down  a  hill  at  a  good  rate,  sud- 


ON  DRIVING. 


35 


denly  relax  your  reins  (still  keeping  them  in  your  hand) 
and  give  the  word  sharp,  he  will  back  up  in  his  breeching 
and  come  to  a  full  stop.  I  am  thus  particular  in  this  as 
it  may  often  insure  the  reader's  safety, — as  thus :  sup- 
pose a  crowded  thoroughfare,  you  driving  along  at  a  fair 
gait,  a  runaway  pair  behind  strikes  your  wagon,  your  first 
impulse  is  to  cry  Wo.  Your  horse  inspired  with  faith  in 
your  word  is  not  frightened  by  the  crash,  stops  short, 
and  gives  you  time  to  extricate  yourself  from  the  wreck, 
and  probably  saves  for  you  a  leg  or  arm,  or  possibly  your 
neck ;  the  being  accustomed  to  stop  at  the  word  he  un- 
derstands as  his  paramount  duty,  on  a  hill,  anywhere ; 
consequently  the  crash  does  not  so  frighten  him,  as  the 
word  Wo  arrests  the  fright,  and  he  does  his  duty, — stops. 


36        MANAGEMENT  OF  A   RUNAWAY  HORSE. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

MANAGEMENT  OF  A  RUNAWAY  HORSE. 

IST.  A  runaway  horse  is,  after  all,  of  not  much  account, 
unless  he  be  a  kicker  in  addition.  In  the  last  case  he  will 
kick  himself  clear  of  the  vehicle,  and  if  you  escape  with- 
out an  injury  you  are  fortunate.  If  you  have  control  of 
your  horse's  head,  which  by  this  time,  from  having  encour- 
aged a  sensitive  mouth,  you  should  have,  you  must  reason 
the  thing  out  very  quickly,  if  he  is  running  away  really 
from  fright.  You  might  as  well  pull  against  a  stone  wall 
as  his  head  until  you  have  prepared  him  for  your  pull ; 
take  him  in  hand  a  little,  and  talk  to  him,  Wo,  so,  ho; 
try  so,  ho,  wo,  HO,  sharp;  at  each  word  he  will  turn  his  ear 
and  incline  it  a  little  more.  If  properly  broken  as  above 
to  the  word  he  will  stop ;  but  if  not,  and  he  still  has  a 
little  idea  of  its  meaning,  your  words  will  ease  his  fright 
and  give  him  encouragement.  You  may  now,  having 
taken  the  edge  off  his  scare,  take  him  fully  in  hand. 
Lean  forward,  wrap  a  rein  around  each  hand,  and  at  the 
word  Wo  lean  back  and  put  all  your  strength  and  weight 
into  one  square  pull  only  for  a  second ;  let  up  both  reins 
suddenly  ;  that  will  startle  him,  he  will  be  at  a  loss  to  know 
what  next ;  then  alternate  your  pulls, — now  to  the  right, 
sharp;  again  to  the  left,  short,  a  few  times;  when  you  are 
a  little  winded,  then  fall  back,  give  a  straight  pull,  and 
say  Wo.  In  ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a  hundred  he  will  stop. 
Or  if  away  out  in  the  country,  your  wagon  and  harness 
strong,  road  good,  and  you  feel  safe  of  it  being  so  for  a 
mile  or  more,  as  soon  as  he  gets  over  his  fright,  and  you 


MANAGEMENT  OF  A   RUNAWAY  HORSE.        37 

feel  by  handling  his  mouth  that  you  have  him  somewhat 
in  hand,  begin  to  let  him  know  you  rather  like  that  run- 
away business,  and  put  the  whip  on  him  sharp  and 
heavily, — make  him  go  faster  than  before ;  but  keep  a 
steady  bearing  on  your  rein,  not  a  pull;  but  feel  his  mouth 
sensibly,  move  his  bit  a  little,  now  and  then,  from  right  to 
left  to  keep  his  mouth  alive ;  let  him  feel  your  whip  at 
every  jump  until  he  begins  to  tire  of  it,  then  let  him  up, 
and  he  will  not  want  to  try  it  again.  Of  course  you  could 
not  do  this  near  a  large  city. 

2d.  Double  Team  Driving. — The  same  general  rules 
apply  as  in  single.  Be  particular  that  your  reins  are  so 
adjusted  as  to  have  a  fair  bearing  all  over  the  horse's 
mouth.  I  observe  a  practice,  however,  that  I  must  depre- 
cate. I  mean  gentlemen  driving  with  heavy  curbs  and  chains 
and  heavier  hands.  But  before  commencing  to  talk  about 
driving,  a  word  on  the  subject  of  hitching  a  double  team. 
Pole-straps  should  first  be  buckled  to  the  collar  or  ring  at 
bottom  of  collar,  for  the  reason  that  if  the  traces  are  fas- 
tened and  no  breast-straps  buckled  there  is  nothing  to 
hold  back  by.  And  if  anything  starts  the  horses,  the 
carriage  is  at  once  on  them,  and,  if  at  all  nervous  or  fall  of 
fun,  up  go  their  heels  and  the  carriage  is  knocked  to  pieces 
in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  horses  ruined.  Pole-straps 
only  being  attached,  this  cannot  occur.  All  being  rightly 
adjusted,  and  the  gentleman  driving,  his  family  inside,  he 
on  the  box  with  coachman, — heavy  curb  bit  and  chains  on 
his  horses  (which  is  the  fashion), — it  just  strikes  me  what 
would  our  ancient  friend  Archimedes  have  thought  to 
see  the  application  of  his  favorite  motto  ?  He  wanted 
strong  ground  for  his  fulcrum,  and  a  strong  lever  on  which 
to  work  the  same,  to  move  the  world ;  here  you  have  the 
lever  in  the  bit,  the  fulcrum  in  the  chain,  strong  enough  to 
stand  the  pressure  of  a  ton  or  more:  and  this  applied  to 


3 8        MANAGEMENT  OF  A    RUNAWAY  HORSE. 

the  tender  part  of  the  horse's  upper  jaw  and  chin, — what 
must  follow,  but  agony  the  most  intense?  The  gentle- 
man is  driving  along  at  a  four-minute  gait  (very  fast  to 
stop  on  suddenly),  he  is  in  the  park  or  some  fashionable 
driving  ground,  meeting  many  friends  and  acquaintances, 
and  in  order  to  be  exceedingly  polite  to  salute  some  pass- 
ing equipage,  with  a  heavy  hand  reins  up  suddenly  from 
a  fast  trot  to  a  slow  one  or  walk ;  consequence,  a  severe 
strain  upon  his  driving  tackle,  fortunate  if  nothing  breaks. 
He  has  tried  to  the  best  of  his  (want  of)  knowledge  to  kill 
or  maim  his  family,  self,  and  all  in  the  carriage,  and  it  is 
only  a  wonder  to  me  that  an  accident  is  not  of  daily  occur- 
rence. Fancy  the  weight  of  two  horses,  say  two  thousand 
pounds,  thrown  back  suddenly  against  pole,  yoke,  hook 
at  end  of  pole,  and  breast-strap  (for  there  is  no  breeching 
on  this  stylish  harness),  and,  to  say  nothing  of  the  mo- 
mentum, you  can  form  some  idea  of  the  immense  strain 
suddenly  brought  to  bear  on  all  these  things.  The  horses 
cannot  help  themselves;  they  must  throw  themselves  back, 
rear,  or  do  something  to  relieve  themselves  from  such 
agony :  therefore  I  must  beg  gentlemen  to  understand  the 
pain  they  inflict,  and  drive  with  light  hands  on  curb  bits, 
or  if  from  long  habit  or  any  other  cause  they  prefer  to 
rein  up  so  suddenly,  let  them  doff  the  curb  and  chain  and 
put  on  plain  snaffles ;  they  can  then  indulge  their  fondness 
for  sudden  pulling  up  without  any  danger  to  themselves 
or  occupants,  and  inflict  no  pain  on  their  horses.  If 
anything  breaks  in  the  sudden  reining-up  process,  there 
is  no  escape :  carriage  comes  on  horses,  they  become 
frightened,  and  the  consequences  are  likely  to  be  serious. 
And  now,  all  other  things  being  properly  adjusted,  your 
horses  should  be  reined  up  just  where  they  travel  most 
comfortably  to  themselves,  without  regard  to  show. 


INJURY  BY  NEGLECT.  39 


CHAPTER   V. 

EXPERIENCE    WITH    HORSES    INJURED    BY    ABUSE    AND 
NEGLECT. 

IST.  Not  to  weary  the  reader  with  something  of  pro- 
lixity, before  touching  on  horseback  riding  (in  which 
Baucher  will  occupy  a  conspicuous  part)  or  the  many 
trifling  diseases  incidental  to  a  gentleman's  horse,  I  will 
narrate  one  or  two  circumstances  that  came  under  my 
notice,  to  show  the  effects  of  abuse  and  neglect.  First,  a 
mare — high-bred,  beautiful,  and  fast — bought  by  a  friend 
for  a  very  high  price  in  old  times  had  a  habit  of  untying 
her  halter,  consequently  she  was  neglected  and  abused  by 
the  grooms  to  such  an  extent  that  she  was  pronounced 
worthless  and  sent  to  me.  I  bought  her  at  about  one-tenth 
of  her  original  cost.  The  groom  on  landing  her  at  my 
place  said,  "By  my  sowl,  you'll  never  kape  her  tied,  sir; 
she's  the  divil  let  loose  entirely."  "Very  well,"  I  said, 
"put  her  in  the  stable."  I  put  a  few  hard  knots  on  her 
strap,  my  man  put  a  few  more,  I  allowed  the  stable- 
door  to  remain  open  purposely,  and  went  in  to  dinner ; 
that  over,  the  mare  was  quietly  grazing  in  the  lawn.  When 
driven  into  the  stable  she  was  like  a  culprit,  shaking  like 
an  aspen  leaf,  expecting  of  course  a  good  sound  beating; 
instead  of  which  I  spoke  to  her  kindly,  cut  off  her  halter- 
strap  three  and  a  half  feet  from  the  chin-piece,  and  sent 
that  to  the  nearest  saddler  and  had  buckle  and  billet  put 
on,  that  buckled  into  the  ring  of  feed-box.  There  being 
no  knot  to  untie,  all  the  trouble  that  caused  such  an 
amount  of  swearing,  beating,  and  neglect,  was  done  away 


42  INJURY  BY  NEGLECT, 

ruin  a  horse,  that  might,  if  looked  after  and  the  part 
seemingly  affected  carefully  examined,  save  him  an  im- 
mensity of  pain,  and  his  owner  a  good  horse.  A  mag- 
nificent bay  of  great  style,  fine  carriage,  and  fast,  came 
to  me  in  the  most  abject  condition  of  poverty.  He 
could  not  even  eat  grass;  when  down,  could  not  get 
up  without  assistance;  he  had  no  apparent  defect,  and 
yet  was  little  better  than  a  dead  horse.  Something  be- 
yond the  common  order  of  things  was  the  matter ;  but 
what?  Several  days  passed,  things  getting  worse,  when 
the  idea  of  making  a  thorough  examination  of  his  mouth 
occurred  to  me :  his  non-ability  to  eat  must  have  arisen 
from  some  cause  connected  with  the  mouth.  After  much 
search  a  pin  was  found  imbedded  to  the  head  in  the  gum  : 
irritation  and  pain  resulted ;  he  simply  could  not  use  his 
nippers  in  consequence  of  the  pain,  and  was  dying  of 
starvation.  The  pin  removed,  a  little  lancing  of  the  gums, 
and  in  a  short  time  he  was  enjoying  his  food.  He  im- 
proved rapidly,  and  was  in  good  condition  for  several 
years  whilst  I  owned  him. 

If  this  is  not  a  strong  exemplification  of  the  necessity 
of  examining  for  trifles,  I  know  not  one. 

3d.  Another  instance  occurs  to  me  to  show  the  neces- 
sity of  examining  a  horse's  mouth.  Sometimes  his  grinders 
become  worn  on  the  inner  edge,  and  rough  and  sharp 
on  the  outer,  soring  the  inside  of  his  cheek  at  every 
attempt  to  feed.  Consequently  to  masticate  his  food 
properly  is  almost  an  impossibility,  as  it  is  attended  with 
pain  at  every  attempt.  A  very  fine  mare,  and  tremend- 
ously fast,  owned  by  a  friend,  was  going  back  in  her  con- 
dition so  fast  that  he  became  alarmed ;  he  never  thought, 
however,  to  examine  her  mouth  until  she  was  nearly 
starved.  Coming  to  me,  with  my  past  experience  the 
first  thing  was  to  look  closely  into  her  mouth,  and  there 


INJURY  BY  NEGLECT.  43 

the  trouble  was  at  once  discovered  :  cheeks  sore  and  irri- 
tated, terribly  sore  to  the  touch ;  and  in  a  very  short  time  I 
had  the  outer  edge  filed  off  smooth  and  rounding  inwards, 
so  that  it  did  not  touch  the  cheek.  Consequently  there 
could  be  no  more  trouble  from  that  source,  and  she  became 
as  useful  as  ever  (this  is  a  common  occurrence  with  horses 
getting  up  in  years,  that  have  been  grain-fed  a  long  time). 
One  of  the  principal  objects  of  this  book  is  to  induce 
gentlemen  to  make  minute  examinations  for  themselves  of 
the  parts  affected,  and  thereby  save  for  themselves  many  a 
fine  horse,  and  at  the  same  time  give  him  great  relief  from 
pain. 


44  SADDLE-HORSE. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SADDLE-HORSE. 

IST.  It  seems  now  in  place  to  take  up  the  saddle-horse, 
and  write  something  on  the  subject  of  breaking  him  for 
that  purpose.  The  dealer  from  whom  you  buy  him  will 
probably  tell  you  he  is  a  well-broken  horse  for  saddle  or 
harness;  and  he  no  doubt  thinks  so,  and  as  far  as  he  knows 
he  is  so ;  but  unfortunately  he  knows  nothing  about  it.  To 
a  horseman  the  animal  scarcely  knows  the  rudiments  of 
his  education.  True,  you  can  pull  him  right  or  left,  but 
you  cannot  back  him.  You  cannot  make  him  do  any- 
thing— walk,  trot,  or  gallop — at  your  will, — in  short,  he  is 
a  big  lump  of  clay  to  be  moulded  at  the  potter's  will.  I 
know  nothing  that  will  make  a  finished  and  thorough 
horseman  so  effectually  as  to  let  himself,  in  so  far  as  I  can 
explain  them,  take  these  hints  from  Baucher's  method 
and  apply  them  himself.  It  is  true  a  good  rider  can  get 
along  with  any  "horse,  but  not  with  the  same  ease  as  with 
a  handled  horse. 

2d.  To  Make  the  Horse  Follow,  and  be  Gentle  at  Time 
of  Mounting. — The  trainer  approaches  with  whip  under  his 
arm,  and  speaks  caressingly  to  him ;  then  takes  the  reins 
of  the  curb  in  his  left  hand,  five  inches  from  the  check-- 
piece, firmly  in  case  of  resistance  from  the  animal ;  then, 
with  the  whip  in  right  hand,  tap  him  on  the  breast,  this 
will  naturally  cause  him  to  recede  from  the  whip ;  as  he 
does  so,  follow  with  a  regular  strain  on  the  reins,  still 
tapping ;  he  will  soon  find  no  relief  from  that  mode  of 
operation,  and  will  of  his  own  accord  try  something  else, 


SADDLE-HORSE. 


45 


and  that  will  be  an  advance ;  that  second  drop  the  reins, 
stop  the  tapping,  and  pat  him  heartily.  Now  repeat  the 
same  carefully  over  and  over  again  for  twenty  minutes, 
morning  and  afternoon.  In  a  very  few  days  he  will  under- 
stand that  the  raising  of  the  whip  to  tap  him  on  the  breast 
means,  Follow,  and  you  will  get  no  punishment,  but  plenty 
of  caressing.  If  you  have  a  stubborn,  vicious  brute,  there 
is  nothing  for  it  but  to  put  on  the'  cavisson  (simply  a  band 
of  iron  around  the  nose-piece  ;  or,  in  other  words,  a  nose- 
band of  iron,  supported  by  the  arrangements  of  a  common 
halter) ;  a  few  jerks  on  that  will  bring  almost  any  horse  to 
quietness. 

T*o  teach  your  horse  to  stand  quietly  while  mounting 
(if  he  is  disposed  to  start),  shorten  your  right  rein  just  as 
far  as  is  necessary, — with  some  it  is  necessary  to  have 
their  head  turned  half  round  to  the  right  before  they  will 
stand  :  that  the  reader  must  regulate  in  accordance  with 
the  disposition  of  the  horse  to  stand  or  start ;  when  he 
stands  from  this  procedure,  mount  and  pat  him,  at  the  same 
time  relieving  the  right  rein  ;  do  this  repeatedly  until  he 
stands  without  any  shortening  of  the  rein,  which  a  few 
days'  repeating  will  do. 

3d.  That  supposed  to  be  done,  passing  through  your 
stable  you  observe  a  small  fight  going  on  between  your 
horse  and  groom.  He  wants  to  back  him  out  of  his  stall, 
and  is  pulling  and  tugging  at  his  head,  and  the  horse  re- 
sisting with  his  whole  force.  Your  head  is  turned  away 
for  one  moment,  and  just  then  the  groom,  to  show  he  can 
do  it,  absolutely  turns  him  in  the  stall  to  get  him  out. 
If  he  is  not  strained  across  the  loins  by  such  an  unnatural 
twist,  it  is  more  by  good  fortune  than  management.  You 
charge  him  never  to  do  that  again  ;  but  order  your  horse  to 
the  riding-room,  where  it  is  supposed  you  are  quietly 
educating  him.  First,  you  want  only  a  plain  snaffle  bridle, 


46  SADDLE  HORSE. 

of  course  no  blinds ;  you  want  him  to  see  what  you  do. 
It  is  almost  as  necessary  that  the  horse  should  be  taught 
to  go  back  easily  as  any  other  requirement  ;  to  force  him 
back  by  main  force  on  his  jaw  often  results  in  a  rear 
sprain  of  the  shoulder,  curb,  strain  of  the  loins,  and  many 
of  the  vices  which  originate  in  the  self-protection  of  the 
animal  against  painful  treatment.  Now,  to  impart  to  him 
the  idea  of  how  he  is  to  go  back  without  all  this  force, 
and  that  he  is  to  do  it  by  the  simple  pointing  of  your 
finger,  is  what  we  desire  to  get  at. 

He  is  now  bridled  and  awaiting  you  ;  you  take  the  rein 
a  few  inches — say  six — from  the  bit,  holding  them  lightly 
but  still  with  sufficient  firmness  to  prevent  an  advance 
movement.  Now  with  a  slight  bearing  of  the  rein  on  the 
side  opposite  to  that  to  which  he  is  to  be  turned,  bear  his 
head  and  neck;  then  apply  the  end  of  a  stick  or  whip  to 
the  flank  on  the  same  side,  so  as  to  make  him  cross  the 
hind  leg  of  the  same  side  over  and  in  front  of  the  other; 
one  or  two  steps  or  more  (should  he  kick,  urge  the  action 
with  more  force  of  rein  and  whip),  and  you  will  obtain  the 
desired  motion ;  as  soon  as  the  action  is  made  use  neither 
whip  or  stick,  but  be  content  with  that  much,  and  pat 
him  caressingly  and  in  earnest.  Having  done  this  on  one 
side,  go  to  the  other,  and  by  converse  application  of  the 
whip  and  rein  repeat  the  action  on  that;  in  a  very  short 
time — say  ten  minutes — he  will  have  learned  to  move  his 
hind  legs  to  the  right  or  left,  with  very  little,  if  any, 
change  of  place  of  the  fore  legs,  if  you  but  hold  him  with 
sufficient  firmness.  This  accomplished,  by  gentle  means, 
you  will  have  command  over  the  hind  legs  to  the  extent 
of  raising  one  or  the  other  at  a  time.  A  simple  illustra- 
tion :  if  a  fly  bites  him  under  the  flank,  what  will  he 
naturally  do  ?  simply  kick  in  his  leg  towards  the  fly.  That's 
the  whole  thing:  you  want  to  raise  his  legs;  being  able  to 


SADDLE-HORSE.  47 

do  that,  you  control  them.  Thus  under  control,  begin  to 
teach  him  to  back  by  raising  the  hind  leg  as  directed  ;  and 
when  the  leg  is  off  the  ground,  without  bearing  the  rein 
to  either  side,  raise  the  head  and  neck  by  the  rein  diag- 
onally opposite  to  the  raised  leg,  and  the  horse  to  sup- 
port himself  will  make  a  step  backward, — he  must  do  it  or 
fall.  Then  immediately  bring  him  -forward  as  before 
mentioned;  pat  him,  to  again  assure  him  of  your  ap- 
proval ;  he  knows  he  has  done  exactly  what  you  want, 
and  the  next  time  it  is  less  difficult.  Now  repeat  the 
operation  on  the  other  side,  using  the  other  rein  in  the 
same  way.  With  very  little  skill,  and  in  a  very  short 
time,  say  ten  minutes,  the  object  will  be  attained ;  point 
your  stick,  back  goes  that  leg,  one  or  possibly  two  steps. 
Now  pat  him  again,  and  repeat  the  first  operation  on  the 
other  side,  and  you  will  find  he  now  begins  to  understand 
what  you  want,  and  in  an  almost  incredibly  short  space  of 
time  the  mere  pointing  of  the  finger  at  his  flank  raises 
one  leg  and  produces  the  backward  step;  again,  to  the 
other  side  the  same,  and  he  will  go  back  a  few  steps  with- 
out the  least  trouble.  Now  stop  him,  and  don't  allow  him 
to  go  too  fast;  to  a  certain  stage  he  will  balance  himself, 
but  if  hurried  will  resist  the  pressure.  It  has  seemed  to 
me  often  that  the  animal  is  as  much  pleased  as  his  trainer, 
finding  he  has  succeeded  in  doing  as  you  desired  ;  there- 
fore, when  he  goes  back  at  all  too  fast,  stop  him,  and 
advance  him  a  little.  Now  pat  him  and  point  the  finger 
at  his  flank;  back  he  goes  on  the  instant,  and  what  brute 
force  could  not  do  in  a  week,  science  has  done  in  ten 
minutes.  But  the  Cockney  horseman  may  say,  "  Poh,  who 
wants  the  command  of  a  horse's  hind  legs?"  As  a  horse- 
man, I  say  that  I  do;  give  me  that  control  and  I  can  stop 
a  rear,  a  whirl,  or  a  runaway. 

4th.  To  Stop  a  Rear-. — The  horse  to  rear  must  have  the 


46  SADDLE  HORSE. 

of  course  no  blinds ;  you  want  him  to  see  what  you  do. 
It  is  almost  as  necessary  that  the  horse  should  be  taught 
to  go  back  easily  as  any  other  requirement ;  to  force  him 
back  by  main  force  on  his  jaw  often  results  in  a  rear 
sprain  of  the  shoulder,  curb,  strain  of  the  loins,  and  many 
of  the  vices  which  originate  in  the  self-protection  of  the 
animal  against  painful  treatment.  Now,  to  impart  to  him 
the  idea  of  how  he  is  to  go  back  without  all  this  force, 
and  that  he  is  to  do  it  by  the  simple  pointing  of  your 
finger,  is  what  we  desire  to  get  at. 

He  is  now  bridled  and  awaiting  you  ;  you  take  the  rein 
a  few  inches — say  six — from  the  bit,  holding  them  lightly 
but  still  with  sufficient  firmness  to  prevent  an  advance 
movement.  Now  with  a  slight  bearing  of  the  rein  on  the 
side  opposite  to  that  to  which  he  is  to  be  turned,  bear  his 
head  and  neck;  then  apply  the  end  of  a  stick  or  whip  to 
the  flank  on  the  same  side,  so  as  to  make  him  cross  the 
hind  leg  of  the  same  side  over  and  in  front  of  the  other; 
one  or  two  steps  or  more  (should  he  kick,  urge  the  action 
with  more  force  of  rein  and  whip),  and  you  will  obtain  the 
desired  motion ;  as  soon  as  the  action  is  made  use  neither 
whip  or  stick,  but  be  content  with  that  much,  and  pat 
him  caressingly  and  in  earnest.  Having  done  this  on  one 
side,  go  to  the  other,  and  by  converse  application  of  the 
whip  and  rein  repeat  the  action  on  that;  in  a  very  short 
time — say  ten  minutes — he  will  have  learned  to  move  his 
hind  legs  to  the  right  or  left,  with  very  little,  if  any, 
change  of  place  of  the  fore  legs,  if  you  but  hold  him  with 
sufficient  firmness.  This  accomplished,  by  gentle  means, 
you  will  have  command  over  the  hind  legs  to  the  extent 
of  raising  one  or  the  other  at  a  time.  A  simple  illustra- 
tion :  if  a  fly  bites  him  under  the  flank,  what  will  he 
naturally  do  ?  simply  kick  in  his  leg  towards  the  fly.  That's 
the  whole  thing:  you  want  to  raise  his  legs;  being  able  to 


SADDLE-HORSE. 


47 


do  that,  you  control  them.  Thus  under  control,  begin  to 
teach  him  to  back  by  raising  the  hind  leg  as  directed  ;  and 
when  the  leg  is  off  the  ground,  without  bearing  the  rein 
to  either  side,  raise  the  head  and  neck  by  the  rein  diag- 
onally opposite  to  the  raised  leg,  and  the  horse  to  sup- 
port himself  will  make  a  step  backward, — he  must  do  it  or 
fall.  Then  immediately  bring  him  forward  as  before 
mentioned;  pat  him,  to  again  assure  him  of  your  ap- 
proval ;  he  knows  he  has  done  exactly  what  you  want, 
and  the  next  time  it  is  less  difficult.  Now  repeat  the 
operation  on  the  other  side,  using  the  other  rein  in  the 
same  way.  With  very  little  skill,  and  in  a  very  short 
time,  say  ten  minutes,  the  object  will  be  attained ;  point 
your  stick,  back  goes  that  leg,  one  or  possibly  two  steps. 
Now  pat  him  again,  and  repeat  the  first  operation  on  the 
other  side,  and  you  will  find  he  now  begins  to  understand 
what  you  want,  and  in  an  almost  incredibly  short  space  of 
time  the  mere  pointing  of  the  finger  at  his  flank  raises 
one  leg  and  produces  the  backward  step;  again,  to  the 
other  side  the  same,  and  he  will  go  back  a  few  steps  with- 
out the  least  trouble.  Now  stop  him,  and  don't  allow  him 
to  go  too  fast;  to  a  certain  stage  he  will  balance  himself, 
but  if  hurried  will  resist  the  pressure.  It  has  seemed  to 
me  often  that  the  animal  is  as  much  pleased  as  his  trainer, 
finding  he  has  succeeded  in  doing  as  you  desired  ;  there- 
fore, when  he  goes  back  at  all  too  fast,  stop  him,  and 
advance  him  a  little.  Now  pat  him  and  point  the  finger 
at  his  flank;  back  he  goes  on  the  instant,  and  what  brute 
force  could  not  do  in  a  week,  science  has  done  in  ten 
minutes.  But  the  Cockney  horseman  may  say,  "  Poh,  who 
wants  the  command  of  a  horse's  hind  legs?"  As  a  horse- 
man, I  say  that  I  do;  give  me  that  control  and  I  can  stop 
a  rear,  a  whirl,  or  a  runaway. 

4th.  To  Stop  a  Rear; — The  horse  to  rear  must  have  the 


48  SADDLE-HORSE. 

use  of  both  hind  legs;  he  can  neither  get  up  nor  stand  up 
on  one  leg,  the  thing  is  simply  impossible.  He  makes 
the  attempt ;  you  apply  one  spur  far  back,  near  where 
you  have  broken  him  to  raise  his  leg  from ;  up  goes  that 
leg,  and  the  use  of  the  diagonal  rein  stops  the  whole  rear 
in  the  bud.  He  is  off  his  balance,  and  must  give  it  up  or 
fall  on  his  side ;  he  feels  that  and  cowers  at  once ;  or  if 
through  perverseness  he  makes  the  second  attempt,  use 
the  other  spur  and  opposite  rein,  and  the  effect  is  the 
same;  with  only  this  difference:  the  loss  of  balance  is  on 
the  other  side.  The  thing  is  to  apply  the  spur  at  the  right 
time  exactly ;  although  the  balance  is  on  the  other  side,  the 
effect  is  the  same, — he  cannot  get  up,  and  will  probably 
never  again  attempt  it;  for,  as  before  said,  his  memory  is 
always  retentive :  foil  him  in  any  attempt  to  do  wrong, 
and  he  will  always  remember  -it. 

5th.  To  Stop  a  Whirl  or  Siding. — Apply  spur  or  whip 
on  the  same  side  to  which  the  horse  whirls,  gently  or 
sharply  as  the  nature  of  the  case  may  require,  and  raise 
his  head  on  the  diagonal  rein,  and  he  cannot  effect  his 
whirl  any  more  than  he  could  rear;  he  is  simply  con- 
founded and  at  his  rider's  mercy. 

6th.  Runaway. — Nor  can  a  horse  run  away  that  is  broken 
to  such  obedience,  and  over  whose  hind  legs  you  have  such 
control,  he  being  thoroughly  taught  to  raise  his  hind  legs  on 
the  application  of  the  spur  to  that  particular  part,  and  by 
the  diagonal  application  of  the  rein,  repeated  if  necessary  ; 
the  thing  is  to  him  an  impossibility.  Now  being  supposed 
to  have  his  hind  legs  under  proper  control,  we  will  take 
up  the  part  which  should  have  been  first — viz. :  his  fore- 
part ;  but  the  awkwardness  of  backing  a  horse  out  of  the 
stall,  or  rather  not  doing  so,  but  turning  him  around  in 
the  stall  to  get  him  out  of  it,  suggested  the  foregoing 
remarks,  and  I  jotted  them  down  as  they  occurred  to  me. 


CONTROL    OF  HEAD  AND   NECK.  49 


CHAPTER   VII 

CONTROL  OF  HEAD  AND  NECK. 

To  get  this,  take  your  horse  in  the  riding-room,  with 
double-bitted  bridle,  bit,  and  bridoon.  See  that  they  are 
properly  placed  in  his  mouth :  snaffle  fitting  easily,  not 
too  tightly,  against  his  lip,  so  as  not  to  draw  or  wrinkle  it ; 
curb  not  so  low  down  in  his  mouth  as  to  touch  the  tush,  but 
entirely  above  it,  from  one-half  to  three-quarters  of  an 
inch ;  chain  (curb  chain)  not  too  tight, — a  finger  inserted 
easily  shows  that.  Look  your  horse  kindly  in  the  eyes, 
place  yourself  opposite  his  neck  in  a  firm,  well-braced 
position,  take  your  curb  rein  about  eight  inches  from  bit, 
draw  slowly  but  firmly;  if,  instead  of  yielding,  he  draws 
back  from  the  bit,  bring  him  up  to  it  by  a  few  taps  of 
whip  on  his  breast  between  the  legs,  as  before  instructed. 
Now  again  apply  the  firm  strain  on  the  curb  ;  it  may  be 
some  few  minutes  before  he  will  begin  to  understand  what 
you  want,  so  continue  the  pressure.  Finding  that  going 
back  does  not  afford  him  relief,  as  he  is  only  brought  up  to 
undergo  the  same  pressure  more  severely,  and  that  resisting 
brings  more  discomfort, — for  the  greater  his  resistance  the 
stronger  must  be  your  steady  strain,  with  a  little  more 
strength  thrown  in, — he  finds  it  is  getting  too  rough  for  him, 
and  as  a  last  resort  tries  another  dodge, — yields  his  jaw  with 
a  little  jerk;  head  comes  in  and  neck  is  bowed.  He  really 
feels  as  if  he  had  done  something  commendable,  and  is 
proud  of  it,  as  his  arched  neck  and  handsome  crest  attest. 
Now  persevere,  and  continue  the  lesson  five  to  ten  minutes, 
enough  for  the  first  lesson ;  he  must  not  be  disgusted  by 
c  5 


5o  CONTROL   OF  HEAD  AND   NECK. 

too  much  of  this,  to  him,  new  kind  of  work ;  twice  a  day 
will  not  hurt  him,  with  an  interval  of  some  hours  between 
the  lessons,  say  five  or  six  at  least.  In  a  few  days  you  will 
find  that  instead  of  pushing  his  head  out,  as  an  unbroken 
horse  would,  he  yields  most  gracefully  to  the  pressure  of  the 
curb,  and,  in  so  doing,  looks  like  another  horse.  You  can 
now  mount  him,  and  with  steady  seat,  hands  down,  steady 
pressure  on  the  snaffle,  get  the  same  yield.  Always  mark 
your  approval  by  a  few  pats  and  giving  the  rein  ;  the  mo- 
ment he  yields,  that  moment  you  give;  thus  much  ob- 
tained, dismount.  He  is  now  ready  to  receive  a  more 
advanced  lesson  in  flexion  of  his  jaw  and  yielding  to  the 
bit.  Standing  on  the  near  (left)  side  of  him,  you  take 
the  right  curb  rein  in  the  right  hand,  six  inches  from  bit, 
snaffle  reins  in  left  hand.  So  oppose  your  hands :  the  right 
on  the  curb,  bearing  back ;  left,  on  snaffle,  bearing  forward 
the  opposite  way,  until  the  mouth  is  opened  however 
slightly ;  then  cease  the  pressure,  to  be  resumed  again  when 
same  result  is  desired.  Let  the  yield  be  ever  so  slight  at  first, 
immediately  let  your  pressure  end,  and  caress  the  horse ; 
again  try  it,  and  you  will  find  little,  if  any,  resistance.  The 
great  point  is  to  yield  to  him  the  moment  he  does  the  same  to 
you,  whether  it  be  to  the  hand,  leg,  or  heel.  To  obtain  a 
flexion  to  the  right,  take  right  curb  in  hand  six  inches 
from  bit,  and  left  rein  in  other  hand  close  up  to  bit ;  now 
draw  in  your  right  hand  and  push  out  your  left  until  his 
head  goes  around  sufficiently,  then  pat  him;  and  by  con- 
verse application  of  the  same  method  you  will  obtain  the 
left  flexion.  He  will  now  very  soon  begin  to  let  you  know 
that  he  has  a  pretty  good  idea  of  what  you  want  by  champ- 
ing his  bit  when  you  draw  the  rein,  and  give;  this  is  an 
evidence  that  he  is  happy  in  his  new  acquirement  and  ap- 
preciates his  advancing  education.  You  may  now  consider 
him  pretty  well  in  hand,  for  this  champing  does  not  come 


CONTROL    OF  HEAD  AND  NECK.  51 

until  he  is  pretty  well  advanced ;  you  now  are  supposed  to 
have  perfect  control  of  both  his  fore  and  hind  parts,  and 
can  place  him  where  you  please. 

If  you  now  desire  to  carry  him  through  the  direct  flex- 
ions of  the  jaw  and  depression  of  the  neck,  and  the 
lateral  flexions  of  the  neck  and  direct  flexions  of  the  head 
and  neck,  or  Ramener  and  croup  flexions,  all  as  per 
Baucher,  they  can  all  be  obtained ;  but  unless  you  make 
up  your  mind  to  devote  a  year  or  more  to  your  horse's 
education,  it  will  be  as  well  to  be  satisfied  with  what  you 
have  already  gained,  as  they  fit  him  to  a  certain  extent  as 
well  for  harness  as  for  saddle.  Not  that  he  is  taught  any- 
thing on  the  harness  subject,  but  he  has  yielded  to  you  as 
his  master;  given  you  control  of  his  neck  and  jaw,  instead 
of  poking  it  out  resistantly,  and  his  whole  physical  force 
is  subject  to  your  control. 


52         TO  MOUNT,   RIDE,  AND    GAIT  A   HORSE. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

TO    MOUNT,  RIDE,  AND    GAIT   A    HORSE. 

IST.  Standing  on  the  horse's  left,  facing  the  saddle, 
with  left  hand  holding  snaffle  rein,  curb  reins  loose  on 
his  neck,  right  snaffle  rein  a  little  the  shortest,  to  prevent 
his  turning  from  you,  a  tuft  of  his  mane  as  a  little  assister, 
or  hand  laid  on  wither  or  pommel  of  saddle,  as  you 
please ;  standing  close  to  the  horse,  left  foot  in  stirrup, 
leg  pressing  saddle,  you  spring  from  the  right  leg  up, 
until  that  foot  is  on  a  line  or  level  with  the  stirrup-foot ; 
meanwhile,  right  hand  on  the  centre  of  saddle  on  the 
right  side,  or  a  little  farther  back,  if  necessary, — on  the 
cantel,  if  you  choose.  Without  dwelling  in  this  position, 
leaning  forward,  throw  right  leg  over,  self  into  seat,  and 
right  foot  in  stirrup,  settle  yourself  erectly,  take  up  first 
curb  and  then  snaffle,  and  arrange  both  reins  as  directed 
elsewhere.  A  bad  seat  necessarily  has  a  bad  effect  on 
your  horse's  mouth.  (See  illustration  on  page  53.) 

Now,  being  mounted,  horse's  head  and  neck  in  posi- 
tion, keep  them  so  by  the  use  of  rein  and  legs ;  close  your 
legs  and  raise  your  hand,  and  he  will  advance  at  a  sharp 
walk ;  keep  him  at  that  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  and  if  he 
keeps  himself  nicely  balanced  you  can  begin  to  zigzag 
him,  still  in  a  walk ;  keep  that  up  for  only  a  few  days. 
Then  begin  the  trot:  slow  trot,  always;  keeping  him  in 
proper  balance  between  the  rein  and  leg,  and  whenever 
he  goes  a  little  fast,  and  you  find  he  is  getting  out,  stop, 
or  slow  him  to  a  walk,  and  start  him  afresh,  slowly.  A 
few  days  will  perfect  that,  and  now,  if  perfectly  light 
in  hand,  he  is  ready  to  begin  the  gallop. 


TO  MOUNT,   RIDE,   AND    GAIT  A   HORSE.        53 

2d.  The  Gallop. — First  bring  his  hind  legs  well  under 
him  by  the  application  (gently)  of  the  spur,  well  back,  or 
the  whip  on  the  croup,  and  simultaneously  raise  his  fore- 
parts. Up  he  goes  in  a  short  gallop;  before  he  comes 


down  repeat  the  same,  and  keep  at  it.  Before  you  know  it 
he  will  be  a  nice,  light,  galloping  horse,  always  provided 
you  keep  him  light  in  hand,  and  his  hind  legs  well  under 
him  (when  you  want  them  there).  A  horse  so  gathered, 


54        TO  MOUNT,   RIDE,  AND    GAIT  A   HORSE. 

as  it  were, — I  mean  his  forces  so  under  your  control  that 
you  can  gather  them  together  and  use  all  at  once  for  your 
gallop  or  jump,  or  what  you  please, — may  be  called  a 
saddle-horse  and  a  broken  horse. 

Do  not  understand  that  the  spurs  are  to  be  kept  against 
the  horse's  side ;  the  withdrawal  of  them  at  the  right  time  is 
just  as  important  as  giving  the  hand  at  the  proper  time; 
in  fact,  it  is  the  leading  principle  in  the  management  of 
the  horse  to  withdraw  all  punishment  and  annoyance  as 
soon  as  he  ceases  to  resist  and  executes  the  movement 
required.  On  the  subject  of  spurs,  I  would  advise  the  be- 
ginner to  use  dull  ones,  just  sharp  enough  in  the  rowels 
to  let  the  animal  feel  them,  as  a  slight  punishment.  As 
he  progresses  in  the  knowledge  of  his  horse  and  the  effect 
of  the  spurs,  he  can  use  them  as  sharp  as  he  pleases,  they 
being  under  his  control  as  well  as  his  horse. 

For  further  information  on  the  subject  of  the  spur  and 
its  use  or  abuse,  I  refer  the  reader  to  the  Earl  of  Pem- 
broke's treatise  on  horsemanship,  and  also  to  Sir  Sydney 
Meadow's  on  the  same  ;  the  Duke  of  Newcastle's  book  may 
also  be  consulted  on  the  same  subject,  and  on  the  use  of 
the  cavisson. 

Only  one  difficulty  now  may  occur,  and  that  is  not 
of  much  moment,  being  so  easily  rectified, — viz.,  the 
leading  off  with  his  right  leg,  making  a  sort  of  cross 
gallop,  which  is  very  unpleasant  to  the  rider,  who  will 
detect  it  at  once  from  the  cross  motion.  Slow  his  motion 
(still  in  the  gallop),  and  when  you  make  the  short  turn  at 
the  corner  of  the  room,  or  in  turning  any  corner,  raise 
the  left  rein  (snaffle)  and  apply  the  right  spur,  so  that  he 
will  sensibly  feel  it ;  the  action  on  both  must  be  at  the 
same  moment  to  produce  the  desired  effect,  and  he  will 
change  in  the  same  moment  and  go  on  leading  properly 
with  the  left  leg. 


TO  LEAP    YOUR  HORSE. 


55 


CHAPTER   IX. 

TO    LEAP   YOUR   HORSE. 


You  should  be  a  perfect  rider  :   everything  about  you 
fitted  to  your  horse  ;  seat  firm  and  elastic  ;  legs  and  thighs 


perfectly  in  unison  with  your  horse's  movements;  thus, 
with  a  light  hand,  by  feeling  his  mouth  and  a  concentra- 


TO   LEAP    YOUR   HORSE. 


tion  of  your  forces  (gathered),  you  will  be  able  to  deter- 
mine the  moment  he  is  ready  to  raise  himself  for  the  leap; 
a  little  elastic  raise  in  your  seat,  a  slight  inclination  of 
the  leg,  enough  to  near  the  spur  to  his  side,  up  and  over 


he  goes;  and  as  he  comes  down  let  your  elasticity  be  re- 
versed, by  lightly  reseating  yourself  in  the  saddle,  and  as 
you  do  so,  open  your  legs  and  support  him  on  the  snaffle; 
it  will  break  his  jar,  and  the  leap  will  have  been  accom- 
plished, as  it  should  be,  with  lightness  and  precision. 


HOW  TO  RIDE. 


57 


CHAPTER    X. 
/  • 

HOW   TO   RIDE. 

IN  all  of  the  above  written  I  have  been  supposing  my 
reader  to  be  a  horseman,  and  I  think  if  he  has  gone  on 
training  with  his  horse,  by  this  time  he  ought  to  be ;  but 
there  are  some  general  rules  that  I  may  as  well  lay  down, 
that  he  may  understand  more  fully  what  is  required  of  a 
horseman's  seat  and  hand.  Let  us  begin  right  at  the 
fountain-head,  and  take  a  boy  old  or  young.  I  would  put 
him  on  a  common  pad  saddle  (no  tree),  and  a  snaffle 
bridle;  tell  him  not  to  turn  out  his  toes,  and  to  squeeze 
the  horse  with  his  knees,  and  let  him  go  without  any 
further  instructions.  Having  no  martingale,  he  will  get 
very  little  support  from  the  rein,  and  he  will  have  to 
depend  on  balancing  himself;  this  will  unconsciously 
bring  him  to  the  proper  adjustment  of  his  forces  for  the 
balance,  and  if  he  has  one  little  bit  of  horse  in  him,  he 
will  soon  become  a  rider,  and,  in  after-life,  if  he  keeps  it 
up,  one  of  the  very  best ;  for  this  very  unconscious  adapta- 
tion of  his  forces,  which  comes  naturally  to  a  boy,  but 
has  to  be  forced  in  a  man,  gives  him  that  elasticity  so 
necessary,  so  comfortable,  and  so  much  more  difficult  in 
an  adult  to  obtain,  and  to  him  the  after-education  is  just 
as  easy  as  possible.  But  for  a  gentleman  unaccustomed 
to  ride,  we  must  give  him  additional  support,  in  the 
shape,  first,  of  a  regular  saddle.  The  best  and  most 
popular  one  is  the  old  English  hunting  saddle,  so  modi- 
fied as  to  become  the  regular  road  saddle  by  being  a  little 
shortened  in  the  seat ;  the  former  is  about  eighteen  inches 
i  * 


58  HOW  TO  RIDE. 

from  pommel  to  cantel  (or  from  front  to  back) ;  the  latter 
is  shorter  by  about  one  to  one  and  a  half  inches.  It  should 
be  wide  and  high  over  the  withers,  and  free  from  stuffing 
at  that  point,  as  the  withers  should  not  be  pressed  upon 
at  all,  in  fact,  should  not  be  touched ;  and  there  should 
be  two  and  a  half  inches  of  space  all  along  the  back  or 
centre  of  pad,  that  air  may  have  free  course  under  the 
saddle  along  the  horse's  back,  thereby  adding  much  to 
his  comfort  and  ability  to  stand  a  long  ride.  The  padding 


A    SADDLE. 


only  enough  stuffed  to  prevent  his  being  injured  by  saddle- 
gall,  and  to  be  comfortable.  I  like  a  single  piece  of  thin 
blanket  just  under  the  saddle,  to  absorb  the  perspiration. 
There  should  be  two  girths,  with  gutta-percha  attach- 
ments, as  they  are  so  comfortable  to  the  horse,  giving  and 
taking  as  he  gallops  or  otherwise,  and  you  can  buckle 
them  sufficiently  tight  to  be  perfectly  safe.  I  do  not  like 
the  plan  of  girthing  a  horse  up  so  tight  that  he  is  uneasy 
all  through  his  ride.  It  may  make  the  rider  feel  more 
secure  from  the  saddle  turning;  but  I  don't  consider  any 


HOW  TO  RIDE. 


59 


one  a  horseman  if  he  cannot  mount  and  dismount  with- 
out any  girth.  However,  as  I  am  now  giving  directions 
for  the  saddle  of  a  beginner,  must  not  expect  that  much 
from  him.  Stirrups  should  be  attached  as  in  the  regular 
hunting  saddle,  with  bar  closed  at  the  rear  by  a  clasp, 
which  should  always  be  kept  greased.  The  object  of  the 
clasp  is  to  open  in  case  of  a  fall,  and  let  the  stirrup, 
leather,  and  all  out,  to  prevent  the  rider  being  dragged. 
If  it  is  not  in  easy  working  order,  you  will  be  better  off 
without  it ;  as  knowing  you  have  not  got  it,  you  will  not 
depend  on  it  for  safety,  and  will  possibly  adopt  some  other 
mode  in  case  of  necessity. 


6o 


BRIDLES  AND  BRIDLING. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

BRIDLES   AND    BRIDLING. 


IST.  Snaffles. — There  should  be  always  two  bridles  in 
the  stable  (if  only  one  horse  is  there):  a  plain  snaffle 
for  the  groom  to  ride  him  with  on  all  occasions,  and  the 
regular  double-bitted  bridle,  bit,  and  bridoon,  for  the 


A  PLAIN  SNAFFLE. 


A  TWISTED  SNAFFLE. 


owner  or  gentleman's  use,  supposing  him  to  have  been 
educated  up  to  its  use ;  but  if  he  is  a  novice  in  horseback 


A   CHAIN   SNAFFLE. 


riding,  I  would  say  use  the  snaffle  for  a  short  time,  at  least 
until  he  has  submitted  himself  to  the  tuition  of  a  good, 
practical  horseman,  one  whose  business  it  is  to  teach  the 


BRIDLES  AND  BRIDLING.  6l 

use  and  not  the  abuse  of  the  curb.  In  the  absence  of  such 
knowledge,  I  will  merely  state  generally  that  the  curb  is 
to  be  used  lightly,  and  whatever  pulling  is  done  should 
be  done  on  the  snaffle ;  your  horse  being  broken,  he  will 
yield  to  either.  Now,  by  often  riding,  with  a  light  hand 
on  your  curb,  and  a  little  heavier  on  your  snaffle,  not 
keeping  a  steady  pull, — for  support,  do  that  by  your  knees, 
— but  now  raising  him  a  little,  and  again  letting  him  have 
his  head  to  stretch  out  his  neck ;  and  now  gather  your  reins 
up,  and  so  keep  changing ;  you  will  soon  have  control  of 
your  reins  by  holding  them  in  this  wise:  curb  rein  to  be 
held  outside  of  little  finger,  and  between  that  and  the 
next  finger ;  snaffle  between  the  next  two  fingers,  so  that 
when  the  hand  is  half  turned  up  and  reins  thrown  over 
forefinger  the  curb  reins  (two  together)  are  on  the  top 
and  snaffle  beneath  them.  Now  close  your  thumb  on 
them  and  hold  it  there.  Having  your  curb  on  the  top 
and  snaffle  below,  you  can  shorten  or  lengthen  either  or 
both,  as  you  please.  You  can  give  your  hand  by  extend- 
ing it,  or  take  it  by  pulling  quietly  back  a  little.  I  say 
nothing  about  martingales,  as  I  prefer  persons  being  taught 
to  ride  without  their  use,  unless  in  the  very  first  stages, 
and  then  with  a  snaffle  bit  for  a  few  days  only. 

2d.  Seat. — Should  be  an  easy,  home-like  sort  of  seat ; 
not  stiff,  but  an  easy  kind  of  firmness.  Head  and  body 
erect,  shoulders  well  back,  elbows  in,  and  hands  down, 
almost  level  with  front  of  saddle ;  no  stiffness  or  dead 
weight  of  any  kind  about,  but  a  regular  elastic  seat,  which 
is  the  one  of  all  others  for  ease  and  comfort  to  both  rider 
and  horse.  The  stirrup  now  comes  in  and  plays  its  part 
towards  giving  that  elasticity  I  so  much  admire.  The 
stirrup-strap  should  be  so  regulated  that,  the  leg  from 
the  knee  down  hanging  straight,  the  ball  of  the  foot 
should  rest  on  it  with  ease  and  comfort,  so  that  you  can 

6 


62  BRIDLES  AND  BRIDLING. 

bear  a  little  weight  there  from  time  to  time,  more  or  less, 


as  you  desire ;  and  just  by  that  much  you  bear,  that  same 
number  of  pounds  is  taken  off  the  weight  at  seat.    By  this 


BRIDLES  AND  BRIDLING.  63 

means  you  gain  and  preserve  the  elasticity  so  necessary  to 
become  a  good  rider;  and  not  only  that,  but  it  gives 
great  relief  to  your  horse's  back.  A  very  good  way  to 
obtain  this  seat  is  to  practice  jockeying,  which  is  to  rise 
in  your  stirrups,  back  again,  very  lightly,  into  your  seat, 
and  up  again  and  back,  and  so  on  regularly  with  the 
motion  of  your  horse,  gradually  rising  and  falling  as  he 
moves  slower  or  faster,  and  so  be  able  to  accommodate 
your  motion  to  his  that  your  weight  will  be  so  distrib- 
uted between  the  seat  and  stirrup  as  to  produce  the 
greatest  amount  of  that  elasticity.  When  you  once  get 
accustomed  to  it,  you  will  find  the  fatigue  of  riding  com- 
paratively gone,  and  that  you  can  ride  five  miles  with  less 
fatigue  than  you  could  one  with  dead  weight  on  the  seat 
all  the  time.  Your  legs  and  thighs  also  will  be  very  much 
relieved,  and  you  will  feel  as  comfortable  as  in  an  old- 
fashioned  rocking-chair  at  home.  I  don't  mean  to  jockey 
all  the  time,  but  to  sit  lightly,  weight  distributed.  The 
knee  should  be  inclined  in,  for  on  it  you  depend  for  the 
retention  of  your  seat  in  case  of  a  whirl  or  any  other 
difficulty ;  the  foot'  just  parallel  with  horse's  side ;  toe 
neither  in  nor  out,  so  that  the  spur  cannot  touch  him 
unless  you  wish  to  incline  it. 

3d.  To  ride  a  kicking  horse  is  not  at  all  difficult:  throw 
your  weight  well  back,  and  every  time  he  kicks  give  him 
a  tremendous  welting  under  the  belly,  or,  if  no  whip,  both 
spurs  in  hard.  He  will  soon  tire  of  it.  A  rearer  (the 
opposite)  is  also  easy  enough,  but  not  so  easy :  when  he 
goes  up  you  rise  in  your  stirrups  and  lean  forward  (watch- 
ing that  his  head  does  not  strike  you  in  the  face) ;  if  he 
is  pretty  high  up,  put  one  hand  on  his  poll,  and  press, 
and  as  he  comes  down  punish  him.  Unless  a  horse  has 
been  taught  to  rear  for  playfulness  when  a  colt,  he  is 
easily  cured;  the  plan  before  reciied  under  the  method 


64  BRIDLES  AND   BRIDLING. 

of  Mr.  Baucber  fixes  that, — that  is,  it  so  far  fixes  it  as  to 
entirely  prevent  the  rear,  if  you  desire  to  do  so.  I  have 
no  particular  objection  to  a  rear  myself,  when  I  can  con- 
trol the  hind  legs,  knowing  in  that  case  there  is  not  any 
danger;  from  an  unbroken  horse  only  is  a  rear  dangerous. 

4th.  Bridling. — Gentleman  patiently  waiting  for  his 
horse, — getting  a  little  out  of  patience;  wanting  to  know 
what  is  the  matter,  and  why  he  has  to  wait  so  long,  he 
steps  into  the  stable  and  finds  his  horse  and  groom  hav- 
ing an  interesting  little  fight  over  the  process  of  bridling. 
The  groom  holds  up  the  bit  to  the  horse's  mouth,  and  he 
keeps  it  shut  tight,  and  no  pushing  of  the  same  up  against 
his  teeth  has  the  least  effect ;  just  as  likely  the  animal  is 
probably  getting  a  few  welts  over  the  head  with  a  broom- 
handle  or  some  other  equally  pernicious  instrument.  You 
stop  him,  and  say,  "If  you  do  that  again  you  leave  my 
service,"  and  tell  him  to  look  at  you.  Then  hold  the  bit  to 
his  teeth  with  your  right  hand,  holding  bridle  at  top  of  it, 
near  top  of  his  head,  and  with  left  hand  you  press  the  lip 
over  on  the  tush,  just  lightly,  or  as  hard  as  necessary  to 
make  him  open.  It  will  hurt  him  just  a  little,  and  he 
will  open  his  mouth  wide  enough  to  admit  twenty  bits  if 
you  wanted  to  put  them  in;  and  so  ends  that  fight,  as  all 
others  will,  with  a  little  knowledge  how  to  cure  them. 

Whilst  on  bits,  I  will  merely  state  that  Baucher's  curb  is 
a  little  longer  than  it  should  be  for  common  road  pur- 
poses; for  him  it  was  no  doubt  exactly  right,  with  his 
delicate  touch  and  appreciative  experience,  and  using 
them  for  manage  training,  and  understanding  all  about 
the  power  on  the  horse's  jaw  of  such  a  lever,  which  in 
the  hands  of  an  ordinary  horseman  might  be  dangerous 
to  himself  and  hurtful  to  the  animal.  For  be  it  understood 
that  the  horse's  mouth  should  be  kept  so  comfortable  as 
not  to  occasion  any  resistance  to  the  bit,  but  to  obey  its 


BRIDLES  AND   BRIDLING.  65 

slightest  touch.  The  animal  will  naturally  fight  a  dis- 
turbing bit,  instead  of  giving  obedience  to  it.  For  the 
curious  on  the  subject  of  Baucher's  bit,  I  refer  all  readers 
to  the  second  American  edition  of  his  work  on  horseman- 
ship. His  bit  was  in  length  of  side-piece  six  inches  from 
top  to  bottom, — five  is  enough, — three  inches  from  rein 
ring  to  mouth-piece,  and  two  from  that  to  top  of  ring  for 
head-stall.  The  port,  after  all,  is  the  most  particular 
feature  requiring  attention.  Examine  it,  and  if  you  find 
any  rough,  sharp  surface  about  it,  that  must  necessarily, 
if  not  smoothed,  come  in  contact  with  the  horse's  tongue, 
let  that  be  filed  as  smooth  and  rounding  as  possible,  so  as 
to  be  perfectly  comfortable  to  him.  It  should  be  just  so 
high  and  broad  as  to  admit  his  tongue  without  his  having 
it  so  contracted  as  to  be  disagreeable.  Mouth-piece  from 
four  and  a  half  to  five  inches  wide, — the  former  wide 
enough,  unless  in  the  case  of  an  extraordinary  large 
animal.  Cannon,  one  and  a  half  inches  in  circumference. 
I  know  many  are  made  much  thicker,  but  it  is  only  a 
waste  of  iron  and  that  much  more  weight  on  the  horse's 
head.  Feel  carefully  with  a  nice  touch  all  over  the  bit 
to  discover  if  there  is  any  irregular  surface,  so  that  neither 
roof  of  mouth  nor  tongue  can  be  injured.  The  doctrine 
advocated  by  at  least  one  eminent  writer,  that  every  horse 
should  have  a  bit  exactly  fitting  his  mouth,  is  particularly 
applicable  in  the  curb.'  As  I  am  only  laying  down  gen- 
eral rules,  cannot  expect  to  be  thus  particular.  Having 
written  all  I  conceive  necessary  on  the  subject,  it  only 
remains  for  rny  reader  to  accommodate  himself  to  his 
saddle,  bridle,  and  horse,  and  with  regular  daily  practice 
and  determination  on  his  part  to  be  a  good  rider,  he  will 
make  one.  Now,  having  said  all  my  say  to  him,  if  my 
lady  readers  will  give  me  their  attention  I  will  devote  a 
short  time  to  them. 

6* 


66       LADIES  MOUNTING   AND   DISMOUNTING. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

LADIES    MOUNTING,  SEAT,  RIDING,  AND    DISMOUNTING. 

FIRST  of  all,  before  mounting,  or  anything  is  done 
towards  it,  as  soon  as  a  lady  makes  up  her  mind  to  be  an 
equestrienne,  I  want  her  to  understand  the  perfect  manip- 
ulation of  her  reins.  I  can  fancy  some  people  ridiculing 
the  idea  of  my  proposed  innovation  on  the  rights  of 
teachers.  They  want  to  do  it  on  horseback ;  I  want  that 
part  understood  before  she  is  in  the  saddle,  for  the  reason 
that  it  is  the  first  step  to  the  control  of  her  horse,  and 
having  that,  she  can  devote  herself  to  her  perfectly-bal- 
anced seat;  without  it  her  mind  is  agitated  and  divided 
between  her  hand  and  her  seat,  and  it  takes  her  a  very 
long  time  to  perfect  both  in  that  condition.  Having  got 
the  latter,  or  her  seat,  she  becomes  a  good  rider  in  just 
half  the  time.  Well,  I  will  stand  the  ridicule  and  send 
for  the  bridle  into  the  parlor;  there  hang  it  on  anything 
that  will  bring  the  bit  on  a  level  with  her  hands,  as  if  it 
were  on  the  horse's  head,  she  seated  on  a  chair,  the  bridle 
so  arranged.  Now  she  is  to  take  the  reins  all  up  together, 
and  pick  out  the  curb,  that  being  the  lower  one.  Put  those 
as  directed  in  the  gentlemen's  case, — viz.,  curb  outside 
of  little  finger  and  between  that  and  next  finger;  then 
the  snaffle  between  the  next  two,  turn  her  hand  up  and 
lay  .them  all  over  the  forefinger.  The  curb  will  come 
uppermost  and  the  other  next.  Now  hold  them  there  for 
an  understanding  of  the  case.  You  know  the  curb  when 
you  pull  hurts  the  horse's  jaw  ;  the  snaffle  only  has  a  direct 
effect  on  the  lip,  and  does  not  hurt.  The  former  is  to  be 


LADIES  MOUNTING   AND  DISMOUNTING.       67 

raised  gently  to  assist  your  horse  in  starting  a  gallop,  or 
to  restrain  him  if  wanting  to  go  too  fast  ;  the  latter  to 
trot  him  on,  or  let  him  have  his  head,  or  to  relieve  him 
from  pressure  from  time  to  time,  in  order  to  make  him 
comfortable.  When  you  raise  him  on  the  curb  for  his 
gallop,  do  not  continue  the  raise,  but  extend  your  hand  a 
little  when  he  starts  off;  with  this  knowledge  you  look  at 
the  reins:  tighten  one,  loosen  the  other,  the  thumb  all 
the  while  keeping  them  where  you  put  them.  You  soon 
weary  of  this,  it  is  too  monotonous ;  so  throw  them  on 
the  floor,  but  pick  them  up  again  and  repeat  the  same 
process.  Now  send  them  away,  for  I  do  not  want  you  to 
be  disgusted  at  the  trifle;  but  be  sure  to  have  them  back 
the  next  day  and  day  after,  until  you  can  throw  them 
down  on  the  floor  and,  with  your  eyes  shut,  pick  them  up 
and  arrange  them  in  your  hand  perfectly ;  then  you  have 
complete  control  of  your  reins,  and  are  ready  to  mount 
your  horse.  I  do  not  mean  be  satisfied  to  do  it  once,  but 
a  dozen  times,  until  you  feel  perfectly  secure  that  you  can 
so  alter  your  reins  with  your  horse  on  a  full  run.  One 
more  word  :  your  dress  should  not  be  long, — two  feet  from 
your  feet  when  mounted  is  enough  ;  if  longer,  it  endangers 
your  seat.  In  the  gallop,  your  own  or  your  friend's  horse 
may  get  his  foot  through  it,  and  if  of  strong  material,  it  may 
drag  you  out  of  the  saddle  in  a  second  and  cause  a  dan- 
gerous fall.  Taking  it  for  granted  you  have  a  gentleman 
friend  to  assist  you,  I  proceed  on  that  ground  to  mount 
you,  provided  your  hair  is  so  done  up  that  it  cannot  by 
any  possibility  fall  down ;  put  it  up  in  anything  you  think 
most  becoming,  but  positively  so  that  it  cannot  come  down 
by  the  galloping,  trotting,  or  any  other  motion  of  your 
horse.  That  done,  and  all  else  right,  the  lady  holds  lightly 
the  reins  all  together  in  her  right  hand,  all  in  a  lump,  and 
with  same  hand  on  the  pommel  of  saddle,  standing  beside 


68 


LADIES  MO  UNITING  AND  DISMOUNTING 


it.  Whip  in  left  hand,  hanging  down,  she  raises  her  left 
foot,  gentleman  places  the  ball  of  her  foot  in  his  palm, 
and  by  a  simultaneous  action,  he  raising  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, and  she,  assisting  by  a  slight  spring,  is  landed  on 
the  saddle  lightly.  Now  leg  over  pommel,  foot  in  stirrup, 
reins  changed  from  right  to  left  hand,  and  arranged  sys- 
tematically in  that  for  use.  Whip  changed  to  right  hand, 
with  dress  adjusted,  she  is  ready  for  lesson  the  first. 


A  LADY'S  SADDLE,  WITH  THE  KNEE  CRUTCH  AND  THE  VICTORIA  STIRRUI? 

ist.  The  Stirrup. — Let  it  be  just  long  enough  for  a 
little  support,  so  that  when  she  begins  to  feel  a  degree  of 
security  in  her  seat  she  can  learn  to  jockey,  which  will 
give  her  also  the  elasticity  of  seat  that  I  have  been  working 
for  in  a  gentleman.  The  first  lesson  should  be  in  a  riding- 
room,,  and  not  over  half  an  hour  long.  The  gait  should 
be  a  walk  for  at  least  two  or  three  times  daily  ;  after  that 
a  little  trot  and  walk  from  time  to  time,  as  she  can  take 


LADIES  MOUNTING  AND   DISMOUNTING.        69 

them  most  comfortably  to  herself.  In  a  week  or  ten  days 
she  will  be  ready  for  a  short  canter,  and  in  a  week  or  two 
more  she  will  be  ready  for  the  road,  always  supposing  she 
has  followed  the  rules  for  hand  and  seat.  From  their  po- 
sition on  the  saddle,  very  many  ladies  incline  their  weight 
too  much  on  one  side  ;  this  is  very  ungraceful,  and  ruinous 
to  your  horse's  back.  She  should  move  in  her  seat 
until,  from  her  own  sense  of  gravity  or  some  one  tell- 
ing her  her  position  is  fair  and  square,  her  weight  is 
equally  distributed,  her  shoulders  well  back,  elbows 
down  and  in,  head  perfectly  straight,  looking  directly 
between  her  horse's  ears.  When  she  has  occasion  to 
turn  to  speak  or  answer,  her  shoulders  should  not  be 
moved,  but  the  head,  and  that  only  turned  for  a  moment, 
then  back  again,  to  look  between  the  ears  to  the  road  in 
front  to  avoid  any  obstacles.  Now  if  her  stirrup  is  just  so 
long  that  her  limb  and  foot  are  comfortable,  and  at  same 
time  by  a  little  pressure  on  it,  added  to  a  little  spring  on 
her  part,  she  can  raise  herself  in  the  saddle,  say  six  inches, 
and  then  fall  back  again,  she  will  begin  to  feel  very 
much  at  home  in  her  saddle ;  and  if  she  rides  the  first 
month  carefully  to  maintain  this  seat  and  perfect  it,  she 
will  very  soon  become  a  first-rate  rider.  Haying  control 
of  her  reins  and  seat  alike,  her  horse,  if  broken,  will  be 
perfectly  safe  for  her,  and  she  can  use  the  curb  more  than 
a  gentleman,  as  her  touch  is  so  much  lighter.  It  is  fair 
to  presume  now,  if  she  is  on  the  road,  that  a  gentleman 
is  with  her;  if  so,  on  which  side  shall  he  ride?  That  is  a 
much-mooted  question,  and  one  that  I  will  answer  in  my 
own  way  (after  a  large  experience).  A  good  horseman 
should  ride  on  her  left,  a  doubtful  or  unaccustomed  rider 
on  the  right.  The  former  on  the  left  has  his  right  hand 
free  to  use  either  in  adjusting  her  dress,  if  required,  or 
arranging  anything  about  her  bridle ;  in  short,  whatever 


yo 


LADIES  MOUNTING   AND   DISMOUNTING. 


she  may  require,  his  hand  is  free  to  do  it,  and,  without 
moving  her  shoulders,  from  time  to  time  she  obliques  her 
face  towards  him  to  speak  or  answer.  Altogether  it  is,  in 
my  opinion,  more  secure  for  the  lady.  The  principal  objec- 
tion urged  is  that  his  spur  will  catch  in  her  dress,  or  that 
his  horse  may  press  too  closely  and  hurt  her  foot ;  but  as 
I  am  writing  now  of  a  horseman,  I  cannot  admit  such 
objections,  as  he  will  not  surfer  either  to  occur,  and  in 
this  position  also  he  is  between  her  and  passing  vehicles 
approaching.  On  the  other  hand,  the  novice  had  better 
be  on  the  right,  for  the  reason  that  he  will  have  enough 
to  do  to  ride  and  manage  his  own  horse,  and  could  not, 


THE  LADY'S  PATENT  STIRRUP,  EXHIBITED  AT  REST  AND  IN  ACTION. 

if  he  desired  ever  so  much,  be  of  assistance  to  her.  Of 
course  his  spur  cannot  entangle  her  dress  ;  and  if  on  the 
left,  he  would  very  often  worry  her  against  his  will  by 
letting  his  horse  get  so  close  in  narrow  places  as  to  pos- 
sibly bruise  her  limb ;  but  even  a  good  rider  on  her  right, 
in  case  her  horse  runs  away  or  attempts  anything  wrong, 
to  use  his  right  hand,  would  have  to  reach  a  long  way 
over  to  get  at  her  horse's  head,  bridle,  or  bit.  The  best 


LADIES  MOUNTING   AND   DISMOUNTING.        71 

way  to  settle  the  question  is  to  ask  the  lady  on  which  side 
she  prefers  you  to  ride,  as  some,  I  know,  admitting  the 
greater  security  of  the  left,  still  like  their  companion  on 
the  right. 

And  now  a  few  words  on  the  subject  of  road-riding, 
dismounting,  and  we  will  suppose  our  pupil  to  have 
attained  a  fair  proficiency  as  an  equestrienne. 

Ladies,  do  not  ride  your  horses  too  hard;  recollect  they 
have  legs  and  wind-works  to  be  injured,  and  they  afford 
you  so  much  pleasure  you  must  give  a  little  thought  to 
their  welfare.  I  know  how  delightful  a  light  canter  or 
gallop  is,  and  the  longer  you  can  keep  it  up  the  greater 
the  pleasure,  at  least  until  you  become  fatigued :  but  your 
horse  will  come  to  that  sooner  than  you,  having  the  weight 
to  carry;  therefore  think  of  him.  Half  a  mile  is  enough 
at  any  one  time  for  an  extended  gallop,  then  ease  him  up 
to  a  slow  trot  and  to  a  walk  for  a  quarter,  then  trot  a 
quarter,  and,  if  disposed,  now  you  may  gallop  another 
half-mile.  By  so  changing  his  gait  he  is  very  much  re- 
lieved, and  can  carry  you  a  much  greater  distance  with 
less  fatigue  than  if  kept  at  one  gait  for  a  length  of  time; 
the  change  at  the  same  time  will  be  a  relief  to  you.  When 
you  desire  to  start  him  in  the  gallop,  touch  him  behind 
with  your  whip,  raise  him  on  the  curb,  speaking  to  him 
to  go  at  same  time.  The  same  general  rules  for  ladies  in 
regard  to  the  use  of  bridle  as  gentlemen.  Now,  if  our 
fair  reader  is  satisfied  with  her  ride,  we  will  return  and 
dismount,  being  very  particular  to  walk  our  horses  for  the 
last  half-mile  or  mile,  if  agreeable,  before  reaching  home. 

2d.  To  Dismount. — Horse  stopped;  reins  changed  from 
left  to  right,  she  holding  them  at  the  end  to  be  dropped 
as  she  alights;  foot  out  of  stirrup,  and  leg  over  or  off 
pommel.  Gentleman  off  his  horse,  and  his  horse  four 
feet  from  the  lady's,  headed  towards  hers,  for  fear  he 


72        LADIES  MOUNTING  AND  DISMOUNTING. 

might  take  a  notion  to  kick.  Gentleman  within  one  foot 
of  lady,  he  puts  up  both  hands  to  her  elbows,  she  gives  a 
slight  spring  off,  his  hands  receive  her  weight, — enough  to 
permit  her  to  alight  on  the  ground  without  a  jar.  Or, 
another  way :  gentleman  standing  six  inches  farther  off, 
turns  half  around,  she  puts  both  hands  on  his  shoulder, 
gives  a  little  spring  off,  breaks  her  fall  by  the  pressure  on 
his  shoulder,  and  alights  necessarily  lightly  and  with  per- 
fect ease.  Now  she  gives  her  horse  a  few  gentle  pats  on 
the  neck  or  face  to  assure  him  of  her  satisfaction,  which 
he  appreciates  fully.  It  is  an  incontrovertible  fact  that  a 
horse  often  restive  and  uneasy  under  a  gentleman's  con- 
trol will  be  just  the  reverse  under  a  lady's;  simply  on 
account  of  her  lightness  of  hand  he  will  be  submissive 
and  tractable  as  possible. 

A  few  words  on  the  subject  of  her  saddle  :  horns  on 
pommel  should  be  reasonably  low;  the  old-fashioned  high 
horns  are  in  the  way  of  the  hand,  somewhat  difficult  to  get 
the  leg  over  or  off,  and  in  beginners  are  sometimes  wrongly 
used  too  much  for  support :  the  seat  not  so  high  as  in  the 
modern  ones,  by  which  she  is  perched  up  a  foot  above  her 
horse's  back.  There  should  be  a  sweep  of  the  seat,  up  from 
greatest  point  of  depression,  of  at  least  one  and  a  half 
inches  at  that  point,  and  lower  by  that  much  than  between 
the  horns.  The  modern  knee  crutch  is  also  desirable.  Of 
girths  there  should  be  three :  two  inside  and  one  outside, 
— the  latter  with  side  strap  attached  to  back  of  seat  on  the 
off  or  right  side, — the  two  former  only  should  be  buckled 
tightly,  the  latter  quite  loosely,  as  the  side  strap  draws 
that  back  and  makes  it  tight  enough  over  withers.  And 
about  the  padding,  the  same  general  precaution  as  in  a 
gentleman's  saddle;  but  in  front  it  should  be  so  raised  as 
that  the  shield  in  front  of  pommel  should  not  rest  on, 
but  only  lightly  touch,  the  neck. 


LADIES  MOUNTING  AND  DISMOUNTING. 


73 


Having  written  all  I  think  necessary  on  this  subject,  I 
will  take  leave  of  my  horseback  riders,  whether  ladies 
or  gentlemen,  and  proceed  to  discuss  the  various  ills  that 
horse-flesh  is  heir  to,  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  and  en- 
deavor to  write  something  to  alleviate  their  sufferings,  and 
at  the  same  time  save  many  a  good  horse  from  being  con- 
demned and  his  owner  the  price  of  a  new  one ;  to  say 
nothing  of  what  affection  may  be  entertained  for  him, 
supposing  him  to  have  been  a  long-tried,  faithful  servant. 


74     DISEASES  INCIDENTAL    TO  HORSE-FLESH 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

DISEASES  INCIDENTAL  TO  HORSE-FLESH — HOW  TO    D_.COVER 
AND    TREAT    THEM,  AND    SO    ON. 

MY  reader  being  the  owner  of  one  or  more  highly- 
valued  animals,  and  having  his  stable  arrangements  com- 
plete, is  as  yet  not  master  of  the  situation,  nor  will  he  be 
until  he  can  give  his  groom  directions  what  to  do  in  case 
anything  occurs  to  his  pets.  In  very  serious  cases  he 
must  send  for  the  very  best  veterinary  surgeon  that  he 
knows.  But  in  very  many  cases  he  can  order  the  treat- 
ment himself;  as,  for  instance,  one  of  his  horses  is  lame 
behind  (which  is  less  often  the  case  than  before). 


THE  POINTS  OF  VIEW  WHENCE  TO   LOOK   FOR  SPAVIN  IN  A   HORSE. 

i st.  You  look  for  spavin  :  to  do  so,  look  between  your 
horse's  fore  legs,  back,  stooping  from  that  point ;  you  can 
better  see  if  any  excrescence  once  shows  itself  on  the  inner 
side  of  the  hock-joint.  Spavin  consists  in  exostosis  from 
the  adjacent  external  surfaces  of  the  tarsal  bones,  always  on 
the  inner  side  of  the  hock-joint,  or  in  other  words,  an 
exudation  from  the  joint  or  its  surroundings,  ossified, 
or  in  process  of  becoming  so.  Seeing  the  excrescence, 
you  naturally  infer  that  is  the  cause  of  his  lameness ;  then 
examine ;  put  your  hand  on  it  to  determine  where  it  is  in 


DISEASES  INCIDENTAL    TO  HORSE-FLESH. 


75 


connection  with   the   joint ;    if  it  is  below  clearly  and 
seems  to  be  tending  down,  from  the  joint,  do  not  yet 


NATURAL   POSITION    OF    FOOT, 
WHEN  RAISED. 


BADLY  SPAVINED. 


BONE  SPAVIN. 


be  alarmed  nor  condemn  the  horse,  but  first  remove  his 
shoes  to  let  his  heels  down,  and  if  he  has  heels  on  now, 
have  him  shod  flat  hereafter, — then  shave  the  hair  off  the 
part  affected,  and  apply  a 
good  strong  blister  once  or 
twice  until  the  part  is  sensibly 
affected  by  it ;  then  when  it 
has  ceased  to  water  and  is  dis- 
posed to  heal,  encourage  it  by 
washing  with  Castile  soap  and 
water  and  anointing  with 
sweet  oil.  It  is  just  possible 
that  when  healed  the  soreness 

may  be  removed,  and    he  may  THE  MANNER  IN  WHICH  TO  FEEL  FOR 

never  lame  again   from   that 

cause,  and  you  may  save  for  yourself  a  useful  animal.  If, 
on  the  contrary,  the  excrescence  is  directly  on  the  joint, 
grown  over  it  so  as  positively  to  stiffen  it,  there  is  not 
much  chance  of  his  ever  getting  well ;  true,  lie  may  only 
be  stiffened  and  lame  for  a  mile  or  two,  after  that,  being 


7 8  DISEASES   OF   THE  FEET,   ETC. 

found  from  either  of  the  above  causes,  examine  his  frog, 
a  stone  bruise  may  lame  him  ;  if  such  is  found,  a  cooling 
poultice  of  fresh  cow-droppings  will  relieve  that  in  a  few 
days,  if  such  is  not  to  be  had  use  flaxseed-meal.  If,  how- 
ever, he  is  not  lame  from  any  of  the  above  causes,  con- 
clude he  is  strained  ;  if  there  is  no  swelling  or  any  exter- 
nal symptom  by  which  you  can  determine  where  it  is, 
of  course  you  are  all  in  the  dark,  and  all  you  can  do  is  to 
give  htm  rest,  take  off  shoes,  and  turn  out  in  grass  if  the 
season  and  circumstances  suit  ;  if  not,  rest  him  in  the 
stable ;  it  is  not  at  all  improbable  but  that  he  may  get 
well  from  rest  alone. 

2d.  Loins. — To  discover  if  his  lameness  proceeds  from 
a  strain,  run  your  thumb  and  forefinger,  apart,  along 
his  back  across  his  loin,  pressing  a  little  ;  if  he  flinches 
press  a  little  more ;  a  decided  soreness,  there  is  evidence 
of  injury.  If  of  recent  occurrence,  a  sheep-skin  fresh  from 
the  slaughtered  animal  may  relieve  him ;  but  be  careful 
how  you  approach  him  with  it,  as  some  horses  have  a 
horror  of  blood ;  that  and  rest,  with  occasional  rubbing, 
may  save  him,  but  in  all  cases  the  cure  is  doubtful. 

3d.  Front  Feet. — If,  on  the  contrary,  your  horse  should 
be  lame  in  front,  examine  his  foot  by  the  same  rule  as  be- 
hind ;  if  nothing  there,  feel  his  pastern-joint;  no  fever  or 
swelling  there,  keep  on  examining;  but  if  there  should  be 
fever  and  swelling,  then  stand  him  in  water,  if  you  can, 
up  and  over  the  joint;  if  you  cannot  do  that,  squirt  water 
from  a  hose  on  it  for  fifteen  minutes  at  a  time,  as  often  as 
you  can  for  a  few  days ;  it  will  come  all  right.  But  if  no- 
thing is  the  matter,  look  higher  up ;  a  splint  interfering 
with  a  tendon  might  lame  him ;  this  is  a  bony  growth 
from  the  cannon-bone,  about  the  size  of  a  large  pea  to 
that  of  a  walnut,  but  it  so  seldom  lames  a  horse  that  I 
would  examine  it  carefully  before  doing  anything  to  it. 


DISEASES   OF  THE  FEET,   ETC.  79 

If,  however,  you  conclude  it  is  that  which  lames  him,  it 
must  interfere  with  the  back  sinews  or  suspensory  liga- 
ments ;  true,  it  is  not  near  them,  but  may  affect,  and  does 
sometimes,  by  its  attachments.  In  that  case  I  would  not 
blister  to  make  a  sore,  but  try  the  old-fashioned  plan  of  a 
white  pine  stick,  soft  as  you  can  get  it,  and  have  it  tapped 
frequently  through  the  day,  and  if  not  much  lame,  use 
him  all  the  time, — the  stick  should  be  round,  about  the 
size  of  a  broom-handle ;  in  a  short  time  it  will  begin  to 
disappear,  and  by  continuance  will  go  away  entirely;  or  if 
you  prefer,  try  some  absorbent,  that  may  be  less  trouble 
and  produce  as  good  an  effect.  If  not  lame  from  that, 
having  already  examined  him  from  the  knee  down, — 

4th.  Look  higher  up  to  the  arm  and  shoulder ;  if  you 
can  see  nothing,  stand  in  front  of  him,  raise  his  foot  and 
leg,  straighten  it  out ;  if  he  winces  from  that,  conclude  it 
is  there.  Or  another  plan  :  if  the  above  shows  nothing, 
push  him  around  on  his  fore  legs  short,  the  one  that  is 
raised  on  the  turn  with  more  or  less  difficulty  is  proof 
of  the  strain,  and  you  may  conclude  it  is  a  dangerous 
lameness,  as  shoulder  strains  are  always  hard  to  cure,  and 
often  produce  sweeny  or  a  decay  of  the  parts  around  the 
bone,  and  sometimes  the  bone  itself,  causing  a  shrinking 
of  the  same  in  fron.  the  skin,  but  can  be  relieved  in  so 
far  as  to  make  a  horse  valuable  for  ordinary  purposes.  But 
unless  he  is  very  much  valued,  it  is  scarcely  worth  a  gen- 
tleman's while  to  be  bothered  with  him ;  though  in  case 
he  should  desire  to  attempt  a  cure,  I  will  give  him  the 
receipt  for  so  doing.  The  seat  of  trouble  will  be  found 
about  an  indenture  on  the  shoulder,  as  though  the  bone 
was  shrinking  from  the  flesh ;  if  the  skin  is  just  at  that 
point  taken  up  firmly  and  raised  so  as  to  make  a  trans- 
verse cut  of  about  one  and  a  half  inches,  so  that  the  finger 
can  be  inserted,  and  some  pulverized  camphor  applied  to 


8o  DISEASES   OF   THE   FEET,   ETC. 

the  part  near  the  bone  for  a  few  days,  and  the  horse 
not  moved  out  of  his  stall,  the  probability  is  that  he 
will  get  well ;  I  do  not  mean  exactly  sound,  but  he  will 
be  well  enough  for  ordinary  purposes,  and  may  last  a  long 
while  without  even  showing  lameness,  unless  put  to  fast 
work,  and  that  would  likely  bring  back  a  recurrence  of 
the  disease.  I  recollect  one  case  of  the  very  best  mare 
that  ever  came  under  my  notice ;  she  was  thorough-bred, 
and  her  racing  name,  I  always  understood,  was  Polly 
Hopkins.  She  was  lame  from  the  same  cause  every  year 
for  about  three  weeks,  but  after  that  was  perfectly  well 
the  remainder  of  the  year ;  that  was  so  for  fifteen  years 
that  I  owned  and  rode  her,  during  all  that  time  she  was 
never  off  her  feet,  and  was  always  fit  to  run  for  a  man's 
life.  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  in  those  days  was  a  great 
place  for  running  horses,  and  if  a  young  horse  made  ex- 
traordinary promise,  so  great  was  the  old  mare's  fame, 
they  would  send  him  over  to  try  a  few  jumps  with  her, 
and  invariably  she  beat  all  comers.  At  the  same  time  I 
owned  a  gelding  by  John  Bascombe,  and  he  was  very  fast, 
but  never  could  beat  her  (although  he  had  the  advantage 
of  weight).  I  always  rode  her  at  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds,  and  he  was  ridden  at  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  pounds ;  but  at  the  first  jump  or  two  she,  the 
old  mare,  managed  to  get  nearly  a  length  ahead,  and  her 
staying  powers  were  so  extraordinary  that  he  never  could 
make  an  inch  on  her.  But  she  had  this  same  disease 
every  year  for  fifteen  years,  and  never  lamed  (only  at  the 
time) ;  she  was  shot,  having  broken  her  leg  by  a  cast  in 
the  stall.  It  was  to  her  I  adverted  when  speaking  of 
arranging  a  stall  for  preventing  casts.  For  all  this,  I 
would  not  advise  any  one  to  buy  a  sweenied  horse,  for  as 
a  general  rule  they  are  not  of  much  value,  even  for  slow 
work.  In  short,  it  depends  upon  how  the  strained  part  is 


DISEASES   OF  THE  FEET,   ETC. 


8l 


affected.  If  you  have  the  horse,  and  value  him  very 
highly  as  an  old  friend,  try  to  cure  him;  if  no  particular 
attachment,  part  with  him  at  any  price. 

5th.  Quarter  Crack  and  Contraction.  —  This  is  a  separa- 
tion of  the  laminae  of  the  hoof,  causing  a  crack  in  the 
front  foot,  the  inner  quarter  generally,  commencing  at  the 
hair  and  running  down  ;  and  if  notice  is 
not  taken  of  it,  and  the  horse  allowed 
to  work  until  he  becomes  dead  lame, 
his  usefulness  will  be  lost  for  six  months 
or  more.  It  is  very  easily  cured  if 
taken  when  first  discovered:  drive 
a  very  sharp  three-fourth-inch  chisel 
right  into  the  flesh  when  the  hoof 
pains  it,  say  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  ; 
do  it  quickly;  it  will  bleed  pretty  freely;  and  when  dry 
cover  with  a  rag  to  assist  in  bracing  the  cut  up,  as  his 
weight  will  force  it  together  and  it  will  soon  heal.  Keep 
him  in  his  stall,  with  feet  well  stuffed  with  fresh  cow- 
droppings  every  day  ;  do  not  have  him  moved'  at  all  ; 


*4  !£5S 
side  of  the  fo 


A   PARTIAL   QUARTER    SANDCRACK 
DRESSED   AND   SHOD. 


THE  METHODS  OF  ERADICATING  A  SAND- 
CRACK :  EITHER  THE  SEMICIRCULAR  OR 
THE  ANGULAR  LINES  ARE  EQUALLY  EF- 


carry  everything  to  him  until  healed.  His  food  in  the 
mean  time  should  be  of  the  most  cooling  kind  but  plenti- 
ful, either  grass  or  carrots  or  hay,  but  positively  either 
grass  or  carrots  if  to  be  had ;  salt  and  water  as  much  as 
he  wants.  Keep  shoes  on  cracked  foot  all  this  time,  all 
the  others  take  off  and  stuff  same  as  this  one,  at  least  the 


82  DISEASES   OF   THE   FEET,   ETC. 

other  front  one.  In  about  a  month  the  hoof  will  have 
grown  down  from  the  hair  at  least  one  inch ;  now  your  smith 
should  put  a  very  delicate  flat  nail  just  at  the  top  of  the 
crack  for  support,  and  if  you  wish  now  he  can  be  used 
moderately  without  injury ;  true,  if  you  do  not  wish  to 
use  him,  it  would  be  better  not  to  do  so  for  two  months ; 
in  about  six  months  it  will  have  grown  entirely  out  and 
he  will  be  as  sound  as  ever. 

6th.  Contraction  of  Front  Feet. — A  growing  inwards 
of  the  back  part  of  the  foot  and  reduction  of  action  of  the 
frog ;  it  is  a  great  source  of  lameness  and  very  often  in- 
curable in  old  horses,  but  very  easily  produced,  as  has 
been  truly  observed.  Daily  exercise  is  almost  essential  to 
the  health  of  the  foot ;  you  seldom  see  or  hear  of  a  horse 
that  is  regularly  used  every  day  becoming  contracted,  un- 
less he  is  shamefully  shod.  This  disease  arises  from  a  com- 
bination of  circumstances  :  standing  on  plank  floors,  high 
feed,  little  use,  and  bad  shoeing,  or  the  latter  alone,  with 
some  horses,  will  produce  contraction.  As  many  are,  from 
the  natural  conformation,  more  prone  to  it,  I  have  cured 
a  number  by  simply  taking  off  their  shoes  ;  this  only  occurs 
to  the  front  feet,  so  I  write  only  of  them.  Rasping  the 
quarters  down  so  as  to  weaken  them,  and  cause  a  little 
healthy  action  of  the  part,  and  at  the 
same  time  increase  the  action  of  the 
frog,  put  on  tips  (a  miniature  shoe, 
very  light,  for  the  toe, — the  lighter  the 
better),  running  back  but  a  couple  of 
inches  each  side ;  this  is  merely  to 
prevent  the  hoof  from  splitting  and 
enable  his  owner  to  use  him  whilst 
he  is  being  cured,  but  when  in  the 
stable  his  feet  must  be  stuffed  all  the  time  with  fresh  cow- 
droppings.  All  grain  should  be  taken  from  him,  and  his 


SMALL  FROG. 


DISEASES   OF   THE  FEET,   ETC.  83 

feed  the  same  as  in  quarter  crack,  only  give  him  plenty 
of  it;  and  if  it  suits  to  turn  him  to  grass,  do  so;  if  not, 
have  him  used  a  little  every  day.  It  is  better  to  drive 
him  every  day  a  few  miles  to  keep  up  a  healthy  circulation 
in  the  foot  and  impart  to  the  frog  particularly  some  ex- 
citement, by  bringing  it  in  contact  with  the  ground,  there- 
by causing  expansion,  which  will  in  time  effect  and  tend 
to  expand  his  quarter.  If  the  horse  is  young,  say  from 
four  to  eight  years,  there  is  very  little  difficulty  in  effect- 
ing a  cure,  particularly  if  he  can  be  used  a  year  or  so  in 
the  country;  in  an  old  horse  a  cure  is  more  doubtful,  still 
it  can  do  no  harm  to  use  him  with  tips. 

I  am  using  an  eight-year-old  that  came  to  me  this 
spring,  very  lame  indeed  from  contraction,  so  much  so 
that  all  who  thought  they  knew  said  he  never  could  be 
cured ;  his  feet  seemed  to  be  almost  without  circulation, 
so  much  so  that  any  attempt  at  a  trot  or  gallop  caused  him 
to  hobble  all  over  as  if  he  would  fall  heels  over  head — 
this  was  only  in  front — they  must  have  felt  to  him  as  if 
loaded  down  by  some  heavy  weight.  After  having  shoes  off, 
tips  on,  stuffing  with  cow-droppings  for  a  few  weeks,  say 
three,  feeding  on  grass  all  the  time,  not  a  particle  of  grain, 
in  order  to  cool  his  system  and  start  his  feet  to  grow,  he 
began  to  feel  much  lighter  about  the  parts.  On  trial  finding 
him  not  lame,  only  a  little  tender,  I  commenced  using  him, 
and  have  been  doing  so  for  the  last  four  months  without  the 
least  ailing ;  true,  all  cases  cannot  be  cured,  but  so  many 
will  yield  to  the  treatment  that  it  is  in  all  cases  worth  a 
trial,  especially  as  you  can  use  your  horse  all  the  time  if 
not  too  dead  lame ;  if  he  only  shows  it  moderately,  to  use 
him  helps  to  accelerate  the  cure. 

yth.  On  Shoeing. — If  gentlemen  would  show  an  interest 
in  having  their  horses  shod,  by  telling  the  groom  to  be 
particular  in  the  stable  that  their  feet  are  always  kept  cool, 


84  DISEASES   OF   THE   FEET,   ETC. 

then  go  and  see  the  smith  personally,  and  tell  him  that 
they  do  not  want  their  horses'  feet  tied  up  with  heavy 
shoes,  but  to  use  light,  plain  ones,  and  at  the  same  time 
insist  upon  it  that  he  shall  touch  with  his  knife  neither 
frog,  sole,  or  bar,  but  with  his  buttress  alone  let  him 
level  off  the  outer  crust  to  obtain  a  level  bearing,  then 
put  on  shoe,  with  care  not  to  prick  or  injure  the  foot 
in  any  way,  nature  will  take  care  of  the  rest,  in  the 
shedding  of  frog  and  its  surroundings.  Your  smith  will  be 
glad  to  do  as  you  tell  him  if  he  has  any  sense,  and  if  he 
has  none  the  sooner  you  get  one  that  has  the  better  for 
your  horse's  sake;  he  will  gladly  do  it,  inasmuch  as  he  gets 
the  same  pay  for  half  the  amount  of 
iron,  thereby  making  so  much  more 
profit.  A  very  good  plan  is  to  have 
your  horses'  feet  stuffed,  with  the  most 
cooling  thing  you  can  get,  the  first 
night  after  being  newly  shod;  if  no- 
thing better  to  be  had,  use  wet  clay. 
Grooms  often  grease  the  outer  horn, 
as  they  think,  to  soften  it.  This  is 
another  vile  practice,  arising  from 
ignorance  alone ;  through  that  horn 
insensible  perspiration  exudes ;  to  grease  it  is  to  stop  the 
pores  and  prevent  nature  from  acting ;  in  consequence  a 
dead  hardening  of  the  horn  instead  of  softening  it. 
Standing  in  mud,  if  necessary,  is  a  good  softener  (thin 
mud),  or  frequent  stuffing  with  cow-droppings  is  the  best 
of  all.  With  the  necessary  orders  to  your  smith  and  at- 
tention in  the  stable,  you  can  reasonably  expect  your 
horses'  feet  to  be  always  in  order.  If  any  of  my  readers 
are  curious  on  the  subject,  and  desire  to  know  more  of  the 
modus  operandi  of  shoeing,  let  them  get  Fleming's  work 
on  the  subject, — probably  the  very  best  ever  published, 


DISEASES   OF   THE  FEET,  ETC.  85 

going  into  the  subject  thoroughly  as  it  does,  and  exhaust- 
ing it  as  nearly  as  possible. 

Tips,  Shoeing  with. — The  originator  of  tips  should  be 
immortalized,  and  if  the  community  of  horses  had  any 
say  in  the  matter  I  have  no  doubt  he  would  be,  as  I 
consider  them  probably  the  most  useful  of  all  protections 
to  the  feet.  It  is  barely  possible  they  were  the  first  at- 
tempt at  a  shoe,  inasmuch  as  they  really  are  only  some- 
what of  an  apology  for  one ;  and  in  that  consists  their 
great  merit,  for  the  less  you  bind  a  horse's  foot  with  heavy 
iron  bands  the  greater  chance  you  give  nature  to  act, 
and  the  more  she  is  allowed  to  assert  her  sway  the  more 
healthy  will  be  the  foot.  All  a  shoe  is  required  for  is  to 
prevent  the  hoof  from  being  broken,  and  at  the  same 
time  give  it  a  chance  to  grow  out.  Now  the  tip  just 
covers  the  toe,  and  around  back  to  the  quarter ;  behind 
that  protection  is  not  necessary,  unless  in  cases  of 
car  horses,  or  something  of  that  kind,  that  are  always 
on  the  stones.  But  I  am  on  the  subject  of  gentlemen's 
horses.  Now  for  those  especially  who  take  their  horses 
to  the  country  in  May,  to  remain  during  the  sum- 
mer and  fall :  if  they  would  have  their  shoes  taken 
off,  and  use  them  with  tips  all  the  time  that  they  remain 
in  the  country,  the  benefit  to  their  feet  would  be  such 
that  they  would  have  no  difficulty  from  any  unsoundness. 
One  may  say,  the  turnpike  would  injure  them :  not  at 
all ;  where  it  is  very  rough,  ease  up  a  little,  that  is  all. 
On  ordinary  pikes  a  horse  with  tips  will  do  very  well ;  the 
great  mistake  is,  too  much  shoeing  and  too  heavy  shoes. 
As  a  question  of  economy  also  it  is  worth  looking  into 
for  some,  as  the  cost  will  not  exceed  one-half  the  regular 
expenditure  for  heavy  shoes, — if  you  choose  to  be  particu- 
lar about  that.  Besides,  any  smith  can  make  and  put  on 
a  tip,  whereas  the  same  might  not  be  able  to  put  a 


86  DISEASES   OF   THE   FEET,    ETC. 

shoe  on  properly.     I  should  be  glad  to  see  their  use  more 
general. 

8th.  Thrush. — A  very  bad  case  of  thrush  will  lame 
a  horse ;  the  cure  for  that  is  very  simple.  It  is  a  disease 
of  the  frog,  caused  from  want  of  attention,  fever  in  the 
frog,  producing  inflammation  and  suppuration ;  a  very 
noxious  matter  exudes  from  it,  and  renders  it  very  tender 
and  sore  to  the  touch,  ending  in  a  decay  of  the  parts. 
Have  it  well  washed  out  with  Cas- 
tile soap  and  water,  scrape  out  all 
the  soft  particles,  and  when  dry 
pour  in  spirits  of  salts, — it  will  bite 
him  pretty  sharply,  and  cause  him  to 
stamp  pretty  well ;  when  the  smarting 
THRUSH  IN  THE  HIND  FOOT,  is  over,  stuff  with  fresh  cow-drop- 
pings,  and  let  him  stand  on  a  clay  floor  until  next  day ; 
then  clean  out  again,  and  if  any  more  noxious  matter 
follows,  repeat  the  salts  and  cow-droppings;  meanwhile 
take  off  grain  and  feed  him  with  green  stuff,  a  week  at 
most,  and  possibly  a  few  days  will  effect  a  cure  :  till  well 
keep  up  the  cooling  feed. 

9th.  Scratches. — This  is  the  result  of  an  impure  state 
of  the  blood  and  filthy  stables,  and  although  not  an  abso- 
lute unsoundness,  still  a  horse  will  stiffen  from  its  soreness, 
and  show  lame  when  first  going  out.  First  take  off  his 
grain  feed,  then  wash  clean,  soften,  and  take  off  the  scaly 
surface ;  for  that  purpose,  when  soft,  a  corn-cob  answers 
a  good  purpose,  but  a  rag  will  do,  anything  to  rub  the 
top  off.  When  dry  anoint  with  a  salve  made  of  equal 
parts  of  hog's  lard  and  pulverized  gunpowder.  Keep 
his  blood  cool  by  feeding  on  grass,  carrot,  or,  in  their  ab- 
sence, ship-stuff  mashes,  with  a  teaspoonful  of  pulverized 
saltpetre  at  night.  In  a  week  he  will  be  fit  for  work 
again,  and  to  prevent  a  recurrence  just  keep  the  parts 


-* 


DISEASES   OF   THE   FEET,   ETC.  87 

clean  and  blood  cool,  taking  more  than  usual  care  not  to 
overtax  or  overwork. 

loth.  Grease. — Is  an  exaggerated  case  of  scratches  com- 
ing from  the  same  general  causes,  and  runs  up  the  leg 
(hind  leg)  from  the  heel  to  the  back.  The  leg  is  swollen 
tremendously,  and  so  stiff  and  sore  that  great  lameness 
follows.  The  discharge  becomes  very  offensive,  and 


THE   SUREST    MANNER    OF    PRODUCING    CURB. 

fungous  excrescences  cover  the  whole  skin.  To  cure,  first 
wash  clean,  then  dry,  next  put  on  any  powerful  poultice, 
brown  soap  and  brown  sugar  mixed,  or  anything  stronger 
if  you  can  get  it.  Repeat  this  for  several  days  until  the 
fungoid  parts  are  ready  to  fall  off;  then  wash  again,  use 
Castile  soap  plentifully,  and  if  parts  are  drawn  enough 
anoint  with  carbonate  of  lead  or  white  lead  in  oil.  Keep 
that  on  a  few  days,  all  this  time  feeding  with  nothing  but 
green  food,  saltpetre,  and  mashes ;  as  much  depends  on  his 
feeding  as  on  the  dressing.  It  can  be  cured  in  a  short  time 
by  proper  care.  The  only  bad  case  that  ever  came  under 
my  notice  was  cured  by  the  above  treatment,  and  I  knew 
the  horse  to  be  well  and  work  for.  years  after,  nor  was 


88 


DISEASES   OF   THE   FEET,  ETC. 


there  any  swelling  of  the  leg  left ;  in  fact  it  was  a  perfect 
cure,  and  I  believe  that  what  was  done  in  this  case  can 
be  done  always. 

nth.  Curb. — This   consists    in    an   enlargement,  or   a 
gradual  bulging   out,   at    the  back    of  the   hock,  a  few 


A  CLEAN  HOCK. 


A  CUKBY  HOCK,  SLIGHTLY 
BULGING  OUT  BEHIND. 


inches  below  its  point,  and  is  probably  caused  by  a  strain 
of  the  ligaments  of  the  tendon.  To  look  for  a  curb,  ob- 
serve the  leg  sideways.  Rest  and  cooling  lotions  applied 
will  effect  an  amelioration  of  the  case;  but  a  real  cure  is 


AN    INDIA-RUBBER    BANDAGE,  FOR    KEEPING 
WET   CLOTHS   UPON    A  CURB. 


THE  LINES  MADE,  FOR  SOME  IMAG- 
INARY BENEFIT,  WITH  A  HEATED 
IRON,  UPON  THE  HOCK  OF  A  HORSE 
HAVING  CURB. 


hard  to  insure.  A  cloth,  doubled  over  and  over,  may  be 
bandaged  by  means  of  India-rubber,  as  is  shown  in  one 
of  the  accompanying  engravings :  when  this  may  be  used, 
it  is  afterwards  to  be  kept  constantly  cool  and  wet.  Pre- 
vent exposure  whilst  under  such  treatment,  as  much  as 
possible,  and  have  but  very  little  movement  until  the  heat 
and  swelling  are  diminished  and  the  leg  is  almost  sound. 


DISEASES   OF   THE   FEET,  ETC. 


89 


Curb  is  considered  an  unsoundness,  but  in  buying  a  horse 
I  would  not  mind  a  small  curb.  True,  I  would  call  the 
attention  of  the  seller  to  it,  and  ask  an  abatement  of 
price  in  consequence ;  but  for  ordinary  work  I  would  not 


do  anything  for  it,  if  it  did  not  lame  him,  which  it  seldom 
does,  only  in  the  case  of  a  race  horse  :  therefore  I  would 
risk  a  curb  if  I  ot  something  off  the  price  to  warrant 
the  risk. 

8* 


9o  DISEASES   OF   THE   FEET,   ETC. 

1 2th.  Thorough-Pin. — Is  a  large  windgall  on  the  hock, 
between  the  cord  and  the  bone.     It  is  not  in  popular  esti- 
timation  an  unsoundness,  but  is  regarded 
as  only  an  eyesore,  and  seldom  has  any  bad 
effect,  such  as  laming  or  causing  any  stiff- 
ness ;  therefore  I  would  not  attempt  to  re- 
move it,  as  it  very  often  disappears  when  a 
horse  gets  regular  work  and  attendance. 
1 3th.   Stringhalt. — A  sudden  jerking  up 

THOROUGH-PIN.          Qf  Qne  Qr    ^Q^  hjn(j   Jegg  Jj-    jg  SUppOSed   tO 

be  some  obscure  disease  of  the  sciatic  nerve.  I  know  no 
cure  for  it ;  and  although  a  horse  will  work  on  for  years 
with  it,  still,  it  is  decided  unsoundness,  and  shows  more 
in  winter  than  summer. 


THUMPS. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THUMPS. 

AN  internal  working,  heaving,  or  thumping  of  the 
flank,  occasioned  by  excessive  fatigue,  probably  causing 
some  derangement  of  the  heart-functions,  but  is  seldom 
attended  with  immediate  serious  results.  A  horse  with 
reasonable  care  may  last  with  them  a  long  time,  and  only 
show  the  distress  when  overworked.  No  absolute  cure  for 
it.  His  work  should  be  so  regulated  as  not  to  create  too 
much  oppression,  and  when  attacked  feed  to  be  given  as 
in  heaves. 


90  DISEASES   OF   THE   FEET,   ETC. 

1 2th.  Thorough-Pin. — Is  a  large  windgall  on  the  hock, 
between  the  cord  and  the  bone.  It  is  not  in  popular  esti- 
timation  an  unsoundness,  but  is  regarded 
as  only  an  eyesore,  and  seldom  has  any  bad 
effect,  such  as  laming  or  causing  any  stiff- 
ness ',  therefore  I  would  not  attempt  to  re- 
move it,  as  it  very  often  disappears  when  a 
horse  gets  regular  work  and  attendance. 

1 3th.  Stringhalt. — A  sudden  jerking  up 
THOROUGH-PIN.  of  one  or  Dotri  hind  legs.  It  is  supposed  to 
be  some  obscure  disease  of  the  sciatic  nerve.  I  know  no 
cure  for  it ;  and  although  a  horse  will  work  on  for  years 
with  it,  still,  it  is  decided  unsoundness,  and  shows  more 
in  winter  than  summer. 


THUMPS. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THUMPS. 

AN  internal  working,  heaving,  or  thumping  of  the 
flank,  occasioned  by  excessive  fatigue,  probably  causing 
some  derangement  of  the  heart-functions,  but  is  seldom 
attended  with  immediate  serious  results.  A  horse  with 
reasonable  care  may  last  with  them  a  long  time,  and  only 
show  the  distress  when  overworked.  No  absolute  cure  for 
it.  His  work  should  be  so  regulated  as  not  to  create  too 
much  oppression,  and  when  attacked  feed  to  be  given  as 
in  heaves. 


92 


COKNS.—  TREA  TMENT. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

CORNS. 

I  OMITTED  speaking  of  corns  when  treating  of  diseases 
of  the  foot.  A  corn  is  generally  the  result  of  bad  shoe- 
ing, sometimes  arising  from  a  bruise.  It  is  simply  a 
rupture  of  the  delicate  blood-vessels  of  the  sensible  sole, 


DIAGRAM 

Showing  the  position  of  the  hindermost 
part  of  the  coffin-bone  when  in  a  pas- 
sive state  ;  also  portraying  the  shoe 
in  the  fleshy  or  flat  foot. 


Illustrating  the  relative  positions  of  the 
wings  of  the  coffin-bone,  and  the  thick, 
concave,  horny  sole  of  the  contracted 
foot  when  not  in  motion. 


and  is  of  a  semi-fungoid  character.     The  commonplace 
of  cutting  them  out  only  affords  temporary  relief.    I  do  not 


THE  SITUATION  AND  ASPECT  OF 
AN  OLD  CORN  UPON  A  LARGE. 
FLAT  FOOT. 


THE  DEEPLY-SEATED  AND  SMALL 
SCARLET  SPOT  WHICH  DECLARES 
THE  PRESENCE  OF  A  NEW  CORN. 


like  the  plan.     The  horse  should  be  let  up  for  at  least  a 
month,  his  shoes  taken  off,  and  turned  out  to  grass,  with- 


CORNS.—  TREA  TMENT. 


93 


out  touching  the  foot.  The  cooling  food,  expanded  frog, 
and  its  effect  on  the  sole  will  absorb  the  semi-fungoid 
substance,  and  the  horse  will  get  perfectly  sound.  Or  if  to 
turn  him  out  is  not  convenient,  then,  with  shoes  off,  keep 
him  standing  on  wet  clay,  and  feed  him  with  carrots  and 


THE  SOLE  OF  THE  HORSE'S  FOOT  BEING  TESTED  FOR  CORNS. 

hay.  The  effect  will  be  the  same,  but  it  may  take  a  little 
longer  time,  as  his  general  health  will  not  be  so  good  as  if 
turned  out.  The  very  exercise  that  he  would  take  in  the 
field  would  tend  to  hasten  the  cure. 


94  WIND  -  WORKS.— HEA  VES. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

WIND-WORKS. — HEAVES. 

MANY  fine  horses  are  rendered  unfit  for  a  gentleman's 
driving  by  this  disease,  and  yet  very  many,  if  properly 
fed,  could  be  driven  on  for  years  agreeably.  Under  this 
head  I  would  again  urge  the  exactness  of  stable  management, 


DIAGRAM,  TO    ILLUSTRATE  THE   RELATIVE   POSITIONS   OF  THE   STOMACH  AND   OF 
THE  DIAPHRAGM. 

i.  The  lungs.     2.  The  stomach.     3.  The  intestines.     4.  The  diaphragm.     5.  The 
bladder. 

as  very  many,  of  these  same  diseases  are  brought  about  by 
neglect  of  it,  heaves  among  the  number.  They  of  course 
affect  the  horse's  general  usefulness,  and  are  very  often 
brought  on  by  an  excessive  quantity  of  hay  before  driving, 
particularly  if  it  be,  as  often  it  is,  a  little  musty.  When  the 
horse's  lungs  happen  to  be  in  a  state  to  be  thus  affected,  the 
disease  shows  itself,  and  seems  to  be  the  result  of  excess- 


WIND  -  WORKS.— HE  A  VES. 


95 


ive  dilatation  or  rupture  of  the  air-cells  of  the  lungs, 
which  seems  to  account  for  the  cause  and  symptoms 
attending  heaves  ;  the  latter,  when  excessive,  after  filling 
the  matured  and  enlarged  cells,  first  employ  the  former 
by  natural  respiration,  and  then  by  a  greater  action  of 
the  diaphragm  and  intercostal  muscles  expel  the  air  from 
the  diseased  portion  of  the  lung;  a  distended  stomach 
then  acting  against  this  difficulty  of  respiration,  heaves 
follows.  When  really  very  bad,  there  is  no  cure;  but  it  is 
not  often  so  bad  but  that  the  following  treatment  will 
benefit  him  somewhat,  and  in  ordinary  cases  a  horse  will 
so  benefit  from  it  as  to  be  useful  for  a  long  time  :  as  soon 
as  the  owner  notices  the  symptoms  as  above,  he  inquires 
about  his  hay,  and  if  he  finds  it  musty  and  is  satisfied 
from  all  the  attendant  symptoms  that  his  horse  is  heavy, 
let  him  try  at  least  to  nip  the  disease  in  the  bud  ;  if  the  hay 
is  not  musty,  have  it  cut  (get  a  cutting-box  at  once  if  you 
have  not  one,  no  stable  should  be  without  one).  Cut  your 
hay  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch  long,  wet  that  well, 
and  put  on  a  mixture  of  ship-stuff,  or  corn-meal,  or  anything 
of  wheat  except  the  pure  bran, — I  confess  to  not  liking 
bran  for  horses,  it  only  irritates  the  bowels  without  afford- 
ing nourishment;  or  have  oats  chopped, — anything  that  is 
nutritious,  but  feed  nothing  dry, — and  change  your  mode 
of  feeding  for  a  few  days  at  least,  until  you  find  the  horse 
more  easy,  by  giving  him  only  the  same  quantity.  But 
instead  of  giving  it  to  him  in  three  feeds,  divide  it  into 
six  parts,  so  that  at  no  time  shall  his  stomach  be  so  dis- 
tended as  to  cause  inflammation.  That  done,  if  you  find  his 
respiration  regular,  return  to  the  three  regular  feeds,  but 
make  all  wet, — not  sloppy,  simply  wet ;  now  feed  once  a 
day  a  medium- sized  spoonful  of  pulverized  alum,  and  occa- 
sionally an  amount  of  ground  ginger,  say  a  large  spoonful 
(table  spoon).  If  you  find  him  improving  on  this  treat- 


96  WIND  -  WORKS.— HE  A  VES. 

ment,  and  you  can  use  him  satisfactorily,  do  not  part 
with  the  horse,  but  keep  up  the  wet  feeding,  and  as  long 
as  he  gets  no  worse  he  may  last  you  a  long  time.  An  in- 
stance :  I  bought  a  fine  mare  before  the  war  (at  the  begin- 
ning of  it)  for  ninety-five  dollars,  used  her  for  troop 
service,  had  her  pretty  well  broken  ;  then  having  no  more 
use  for  her,  sold  her  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars; 
she  was  next  sold  for  five  hundred,  held  by  the  party  a 
few  months,  pronounced  unsound,  and  sent  to  auction.  I 
bought  her,  a  heavy  mare,  for  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  dollars,  and,  with  the  treatment  above  described, 
rode  and  drove  her,  and  jumped  her  as  high  as  any- 
body's horse  could  get  up  with  my  weight,  and  she 
never  suffered,  and  in  fact  no  one  knew  it.  If,  however, 
they  get  worse  instead  of  better,  the  sooner  you  sell 
the  horse  the  less  trouble  you  will  have,  as  a  bad  case 
may  run  into  farcy. 


FARCY. 


97 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

FARCY. 

THIS  disease,  although  not  so  dangerous  to  humanity,  is 
still  closely  allied  to  glanders,  and  very  often  runs  into 
the  same  ;  the  difference  is  that  elimination  is  attempted 
in  the  skin  instead  of  the  mucous  membrane  'lining  of  the 


FARCY  ON  THE  INSIDE  OF  THE  HORSE'S 
THIGH,  WHERE  THE  SKIN  IS  THIN 
AND  THE  HAIR  ALMOST  ABSENT. 


A  PORTION  OF  SKIN,  TAKEN  FROM  A 
FARCIED  HORSE,  INJECTED  WITH 
MERCURY. 


nose.  As  no  treatment  can  be  relied  on  for  a  cure,  the 
stable  should  be  relieved  of  a  horse  so  diseased.  It  is 
known  by  small  buds  under  the  thighs  and  belly. 


98  GLANDERS. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

GLANDERS. 

FOR  this  there  is  but  one  cure,  and  that  is  the  bullet,  or 
any  other  summary  process  that  will  put  the  horse  out  of 
the  way.  To  ride  or  drive  or  have  any  association  with  a 
glandered  horse,  endangers  the  life  of  the  individual  so 
engaged ;  it  is  an  awful  disease,  and  seems  to  be  a 
poison  in  the  blood,  which  nature  attempts  to  throw  off  by 
a  discharge  from  the  nose,  very  often  from  one  nostril 
only.  It  is  pure  pus  that  comes,  yellow  and  opaque  and 
quite  offensive ;  the  smallest  quantity  of  it  getting  into 
the  human  system  is  certain  death  ;  and  there  being  no 
possible  cure  for  the  horse,  there  is  but  the  one  thing  to 
be  done. 


RING-BONE. 


99 


CHAPTER    XX. 

RING-BONE. 


THIS  consists  in  the  throwing  out  of  a  hard  substance, 
bony  matter,  about  the  coronal  joint,  near  where  the  hair 
joins  the  hoof,  generally  in  front.  When  it  first  appears  a 


THE  PASTERN  AND  PEDAL  BONE  OF  A 
HORSE  AFFECTED  WITH  SEVERE  RING- 
BONE. 

1.  The  joint  between  the  pastern  bones, 
showing  the  groove  in  which  the  tendon 
of  the  extensor  pedis  muscle  reposed. 

2.  The  joint  between  the  lower  pastern 
and  the  bone  of  the  foot. 


THE  FOOT  OF  A  LIVING    HORSE  WITH 
AGGRAVATED    RING-BONE. 

The  animal  from  which  the  above 
sketch  was  taken,  although  used  to 
propel  a  cart,  was  by  no  means  of  a 
cart  breed.  The  creature  rather  hob- 
bled than  went  lame  ;  but  all  flexion 
was  entirely  lost  in  the  pastern  bones. 


strong  absorbent  may  put  it  back,  but  if  the  disease  once 
obtains  a  strong  hold  the  animal  is  of  little  value,  and 
any  attempt  to  effect  a  cure  will  be  waste  of  time. 


TOO 


POLL   EVIL,    OR  FISTULA. 


CHAPTER   XXL 

POLL  EVIL,  OR  FISTULA. 

THE  former  comes  on  the  poll  or  top  of  the  head,  a 
little  back  of  the  ears,  the  latter  just  beside  the  top  of  the 
wither.  Unless  the  horse  should  be  a  highly  valued  one, 
I  would  not  advise  a  gentleman  to  bother  about  curing 
him,  but  sell  him  to  some  one  whose  business  it  is  to  cure 


THE    POSITION   OF  THE    HEAD    BEFORE    AN    ENLARGEMENT   ANNOUNCES   THE   EXIST- 
ENCE  OF    AN   ABSCESS    ON   THE   POLL. 

and  sell ;  but  for  the  benefit  of  any  who  should  desire  to 
attempt  the  cure,  I  will  advise.  Both  diseases  come  from 
the  same  cause,  a  bruise ;  and  as  they  first  get  hard,  swell, 
then  suppurate,  the  only  plan  is  to  open  at  the  lower 
part  of  the  diseased  poll  or  wither,  so  as  to  let  the  nox- 
ious matter  out  below.  When  it  has  been  running  until  the 
swelling  is  somewhat  abated,  wash  out  with  Castile  soap 


POLL   EVIL,    OR  FISTULA. 


101 


and  water,  inject  the  same  repeatedly  through  the  day, 
until  it  is  seemingly  disposed  to  get  better ;  then  inject 
with  a  mixture  of  Castile  soap,  camphor,  turpentine,  and 
proof  spirits,  in  other  words,  soap  liniment,  with  a  few 


A  HORSE  WITH    FISTULOUS  WITHERS   IN  THE  WORST  STAGE. 

drops  of  turpentine  added  to  it,  any  druggist  knows  it. 
Use  this  twice  a  day,  and  if  it  does  not  do  good  the  case 
may  be  set  down  as  hopeless. 


T02 


CHRONIC  COUGH,  ETC. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

CHRONIC    COUGH,    ETC. 

As  it  occurs  very  often  after  eating,  the  seat  of  disease  is 
evidently  in  the  lung,  with  distended  stomach  and  a  press- 
ure on  the  diaphragm,  and  that  on  the  lung;  they  forming 
some  congestion  are  not  able  to  transmit  the  air,  and  in 
violent  efforts  to  discharge  their  functions  irritation  is 
caused  and  cough  follows.  Short-cut  feeds,  but  little  hay, 
anything  to  keep  him  cool,  and  feeding  little  at  a  time 
and  often. 

Spasmodic  Colic  may  come  on  at  any  time,  even  when 


THE    FIRST   STAGE   OF    SPASMODIC    COLIC. 


you  are  out  riding  or  driving.  I  have  on  several  occa- 
sions met  friends  on  the  road  with  their  horse  out  of  the 
shafts,  harness  off,  and  the  animal  in  agony,  rolling  about 
the  road ;  knowing  me  they  would  hail  my  appearance, 
with  a  hope  of  getting  home  with  their  horse  sooner 
than  expected.  In  such  a  case  the  most  efficacious 


CHRONIC  COUGH,  ETC.  103 

mode  is  with  your  pocket-knife,  small  blade,  sharp 
point  (if  not  so,  make  it  as  sharp  as  you  can  on  the 
first  stone  you  see)  ;  then  bleed  him  in  the  mouth  freely. 
As  he  will  swallow  his  blood,  it  will  relieve  him  in  a  few 
minutes,  and  probably  he  will  not  have  a  recurrence  for 
some  time ;  if  he  has,  when  you  get  home  drench  him 
with  whisky  and  black  pepper.  To  explain,  so  that  any 
one  can  bleed  in  the  mouth  :  standing  on  the  left  of  his 
head,  you  raise  his  upper  lip  with  your  left  hand,  and 
with  your  right,  knife  blade  held  firmly,  stick  it  in 
quickly  about  one  inch  and  a  quarter  in  the  gum,  near 
third  bar,  counting  from  back  of  front  teeth.  If  it  spurt 
out  well  and  bleed  freely,  it  is  enough ;  if  not,  go  to  the  other 
side  and  try  it  a  little  deeper,  always  keeping  the  point  of 
the  knife  inclined  a  little  up.  I  never  knew  a  horse  to 
bleed  to  death,  but  one  came  very  near  it.  It  only 
requires  a  finger  held  over  the  orifice,  or  if  that  does 
not  answer,  a  cobweb  put  into  the  outer  edge  of  the  cut 
will  do  it ;  this  is  supposing  you  are  bleeding  on  the  road 
to  relieve  a  horse  from  sudden  pain,  where  no  modern 
appliances  for  stopping  blood  are  to  be  had. 

N 


104 


INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  EYES. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

EYES. 

IF  any  inflammation,  examine  the  eye  first  to  see  if  any 
hay-seed,  bit  of  straw,  or  hay  may  be  there;  if  so,  take  it 
out  and  wash  the  eye  with  cold  water,  and  the  inflamma- 
tion will  subside.  If  not,  and  you  can  see  nothing  but 
general  inflammation,  then  wash  with  lead-water.  To  do 
so  properly  use  a  small,  clean  sponge, — be  sure  there  is  no 
sand  in  it ;  when  saturated  with  the  lead-water,  squeeze  the 
sponge  in  the  cup  above  the  eye, — the  water  will  run  into  it 


AN  EYE   DISPLAYING  THE  RAVAGES 
OF  SPECIFIC  OPHTHALMIA. 


TERMINATION  TO  SPECIFIC 
OPHTHALMIA. 


from  the  corners,  and  cool  it  nicely.  If  the  inflammation 
continues  to  exist,  bleed  in  the  vein  beneath  the  eye :  it 
is  a  small  vein,  but  by  holding  your  finger  on  it,  to  stop 
the  regular  course  of  the  blood,  it  will  swell  so  that  with  a 
small,  sharp  blade,  by  sticking  it  upwards  so  as  not  to  cut 
through  it,  you  will  get  a  reasonable  amount  of  blood  ; 
and  the  probability  is,  unless  something  serious  is  the 
matter,  that  the  eye  will  get  well.  For  further  informa- 
tion on  this  subject  I  refer  my  reader  to  Mayhew's  "Illus- 


INFLAMMATION  OF   THE   EYES. 


trated  Horse  Doctor,"  by  J.  B.  Lippincott  &  Co.,  as  it 

gives  a  detailed  account  of  the  eye  and  its  various  diseases. 

In  the  country,  where  the  people  are  in  a  semi-barbarous 

state  in  regard  to  such  matters,  they  blow  in  dry  bird-lime 

through  a  quill,  and  if  that  does  not  restore,  which  it  is 

impossible  that  it  should  do,  as  it  only  makes  bad  worse, 

they  aggravate  the  case  by  blowing  in  pulverized  glass, 

which  causes  the  poor  animal  intense 

suffering  ;  and  if  there  was  a  shade  of 

hope    for    his    sight,    this   caps    the 

climax,  and  he  is  a  blind  horse  for 

life.     I  once  had  a  curious  case  in  a 

superb  gray  horse,  owned  and  ridden 

by  a  physician,  who  was  a  heavy  man 

and  a  heavier  rider  ;  he  was  absolutely 

ridden    blind.      I   bought    him    for 

twenty-five  dollars  as  an  experiment. 

On  examination  found  his  eyes  cov- 

ered  with   a   sort   of   blue   film,  the 


DIAGRAM  ILLUSTRATING 
THE  ACTION  OF  BELLA- 
DONNA. 

The  inner  space   repre- 
sents the  natural  pupil,  on 
no  cataract  is  to  be 
The 


washer  terribly  inflamed,  and  by  some   on  two  partial  cataracts 

-  *  are  to  be  remarked,      i  he 

invisible  attachment  drawn  up,  nearly   other  space  merely  repre- 

sents  the  dilated  pupil. 

half  over  or  near  the  ball.     I  also  ob- 

served in  his  ear  a  prominent  cord;  and,  thinking  over 


PARTIAL  CATARACTS,  OR  SMALL  WHITE 
SPECK  WITHIN  THE  PUPIL  OF  THE  EYE. 


COMPLETE   CATARACT. 


it,  wondered  if  that  was  by  some  slight  ligament  attached 
to  the  washer,  as  that  cord,  from  its  hardness,  was  evi- 

E* 


106  INFLAMMATION  OF   THE   EYES. 

dently  contracted.  Ergo,  might  it  not  cause  his  blind- 
ness, from  the  inflamed  washer  effecting  and  causing  that 
film  over  the  sight?  Without  much  thought  I  cut  the  cord 
in  each  ear  directly  off,  clean  and  clear ;  this  was  thirty 
years  ago,  but  I  have  a  most  distinct  recollection  of  it, 
as  it  seemed  a  hollow  tube ;  at  all  events,  the  eyes  in  a 
few  days  began  to  look  better.  True,  I  fed  him  salts 
freely,  and  cooling  food,  and  in  a  week's  time  he  seem- 
ingly had  as  fine  an  eye  in  his  head  as  you  would  desire. 
A  party  came  to  see  him,  who  became  so  pleased  with  the 
horse  that  he  insisted  on  buying  him,  knowing  all  the 
circumstances.  I  parted  with  him  reluctantly  for  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  often  heard  of  him  as 
being  foremost  in  many  a  deer-hunt,  but  never  set  my  eyes 
on  him  after.  However,  presumed  if  he  was  able  to  be  at 
some  good  ones  in  a  day's  hunt,  that  his  eyes  stood  him 
in  good  stead. 


LAMP  AS  AND    WOLFS   TEETH. 


107 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

LAMPAS   AND   WOLF'S   TEETH. 

LAMPAS  occurs  more  frequently  in  young  horses  from 
four  to  six  years  old.  The  gums  swell  and  rise  even  with 
and  sometimes  beyond  the  teeth,  are  very  sore,  and  make 
it  impossible  for  the  horse  to  eat  without  great  pain.  Con- 
sequently he  refuses  to  eat  and  becomes  thin  and  languid. 
To  cure,  use  a  sharp-pointed  knife;  stick  all  over  the 
swollen  parts,  deep  enough  to  bleed  pretty  well.  If  that 
does  not  give  you  enough  blood,  scarify  by  drawing  your 


BURNING  FOR  LAMPAS. 


blade  from  point  to  point,  and  the  inflammation  will  sub- 
side and  the  horse  be  all  right.  If  a  recurrence,  do  the 
same  thing  over,  and  the  inflammation  will  subside  en- 
tirely. This  is  a  great  deal  better  than  the  brutal  practice, 
so  prevalent  in  the  country,  of  burning  the  horse's  gums 
with  a  red-hot  iron.  It  is  cruel  beyond  expression,  and 
should  never  be  adopted. 

Wolffs   Teeth. — I   invariably  knock  them   out,   often 


108  LAMPAS  AND    WOLFS   TEETH. 

they  can  be  taken  out  with  the  finger;  if  not,  knock 
them  out.  A  small  iron  applied  with  a  good  stroke  of  a 
hammer  will  do  it.  They  come  just  before  the  grinders, 
are  easily  got  at,  and  have  some  mysterious  connection, 
from  their  attachments,  with  the  eye. 


LUNG  FEVER. 


I09 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

LUNG    FEVER. 

A  VERY  common  disease,  particularly  in  the  spring, 
although  it  is  of  rare  occurrence  to  a  horse  well  wintered 
in  the  city,  but  seems  to  affect  young  horses  brought  in 
from  the  country  for  sale :  whether  from  cold  taken  on  their 
journey  or  from  the  closeness  of  a  city  stable,  the  poisonous 
air  with  which  they  are  infected,  or  what  else,  it  is  not  nor 
cannot  be  known  ;  probably  it  comes  from  a  combination 
of  causes.  If  the  breathing  is  labored  and  somewhat 
accelerated, — although  the  pulse  may  not  be  very  much 
quickened,  but  beats  with  a  sort  of  a  bulge, — the  ears  being 
dejected,  coat  rough,  bowels  costive,  and  a  general  op- 
pression, he  is  in  a  bad  way.  Bleed  now  from  the  jugu- 
lar, but  not  immoderately,  one  quart  is  enough  if  it  seems 
to  give  relief;  my  object  is  now  to  give  not  take  away 
strength.  After  a  slight  bleeding,  soak  each  foot  in  hot 
water  up  to  the  knee,  not  scalding,  but  near  it,  for  ten 
minutes,  then  wrap  in  flannel  cloths.  Give  him  in  this 
case  rock-salt  in  his  trough,  or  any  kind  of  salt,  and  with 
plenty  of  bedding ;  let  him  rest  an  hour  or  more,  then  give 
him  a  bucket  of  gruel  made  of  scalded  shorts  or  ship- 
stuff,  or  middlings ;  after  scalding,  let  them  be  cooled. 
Put  two  quarts  of  this  mash  into  a  bucket  of  hot  water, 
— make  it  very  hot,  even ,  if  the  weather  is  warm,  the 
object  being  to  start  perspiration,— give  him  this  six 
times  a  day  if  he  will  drink  it;  let  him  have  his  legs 
kept  in  the  woolens  until  morning,  and  then  examine. 
If  still  cold,  repeat  the  soaking  process  of  yesterday 

10 


IIO  LUNG  FEVER. 

and  wrap  up  again;  take  care  to  keep  so  that  no  draught 
can  touch  him,  but  at  the  same  time  as  much  pure  air  for 
him  to  breathe  as  possible,  and  the  chances  are  your 
horse  will  get  well.  Some  cases  are  beyond  all  chance  of 
getting  over.  If  markedly  improving,  continue  the  gruel. 
Hand-rub  his  ears  often  during  the  day  under  any  cir- 
cumstances ;  as  soon  as  they  and  his  legs  show  warmth 
his  danger  is  lessened.  Continue  the  gruel,  the  more  he 
will  take  the  better  his  chance. 


COLDS  OR  CATARRH,  AND  MEGRIMS, 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 

COLDS    OR   CATARRH,    AND    MEGRIMS. 

AN  inflammation  of  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  nasal 
cavity.  First  reduce  the  solid  food  of  your  horse,  substi- 
tuting grass  or  carrots  in  reasonable  quantity.  I  would  only 
reduce  his  grain  by  one-half.  Give  him  to  drink  tar-water, 
say  one  quart  of  tar  put  in  the  bottom  of  his  bucket,  then 
bucket  filled  with  water,  and  let  it  stand  overnight ;  when 
drunk,  fill  it  up  again  until  the  tar  ceases  to  give  out  any  v 
virtue,  then  remove  the  dross  and  put  in  fresh.  He  will 
soon  get  over  it  by  this  treatment  unless  he  is  very  bad,  with 
considerable  fever  attending.  If  alarmed,  you  had  better 
send  for  a  professional,  for  when  it  gets  to  that  stage  it 
may  be  a  long  case  and  hard  to  cure,  and  if  not  properly 
taken  in  hand  may  result  disastrously. 

Having  now  written  all  I  deem  necessary  at  this  time  on 
diseases,  I  will  add  a  little  on  miscellaneous  subjects.  But 
just  at  this  juncture  my  farmer,  who  has  two,  to  him,  very 
valuable  work  horses,  tells  me  there  is  a  disease  prevalent 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  that  a  friend  of  his  has  lost  a 
pair  of  horses  that  cost  him'  three  hundred  dollars.  I  tell 
him,  without  knowing  anything  about  the  disease,  to  get 
asafoetida,  and  put  a  lump  big  as  a  walnut  in  a  rag,  and 
nail  it  in  the  bottom  of  his  horse-bucket,  and  another  lump 
somewhere  near  his  feed  trough,  so  that  he  cannot  get  at 
it  to  eat  (as  some  are  very  fond  of  it),  but  so  that  he  will 
inhale  the  air  infected  by  it.  Then  whitewash  every  week 
around  his  trough  and  inside  of  it,  and  around  his  hay- 


H2          COLDS  OR   CATARRH,  AND  MEGRIMS. 

box.  All  these  are  good  preventives.  Again,  a  gentle- 
man just  called  to  say  he  has  a  very  fine  horse,  fast  and 
handsome,  a  good  feeder,  apparently  sound,  but  occa- 
sionally all  of  a  sudden  he  falls  in  harness,  gets  up  in  a 
minute  or  so  all  right,  and  keeps  so  until  he  falls  again, — 
the  other  day  he  broke  a  shaft.  I  say  to  him,  part  with  him 
immediately,  he  may  fall  some  day  in  double  harness,  break 
a  pole,  and  if  the  other  horse  is  not  as  quiet  as  a  lamb 
will  endanger  the  lives  of  all  in  the  carriage.  You  are 
never  safe  behind  him.  The  disease  is  called  megrims, 
and  may  be  caused  by  a  fatty  condition  of  the  heart,  or 
by  some  congestion  of  the  brain-vessels, — we  do  not  know 
exactly, — but 'he  is  not  fit  for  a  gentleman's  use.  For 
slow  work  on  a  farm  he  might  last  a  long  time  and  do  no 
harm,  if  kept  on  grass  in  summer,  and  on  hay,  with  half  a 
regular  allowance  of  grain,  in  the  winter. 

A  ball  of,  or  lump  of,  pure  clay  is  a  most  excellent 
thing  for  all  horses,  acting  as  a  tonic;  and  a  horse  of  this 
kind  should  have  it  always  before  him.  In  fact,  all  horses 
should  have  access  to  clay  by  some  means,  as  there  is 
nothing  better;  put  it  in  his  trough  occasionally,  and  you 
will  find  he  will  lick  it  with  delight. 


WATER. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

WATER. 

UNDER  all  circumstances  give  your  horse  clean  water ; 
no  animal  is  more  particular  about  his  water,  he  will 
almost  die  of  thirst  rather  than  drink  from  a  dirty,  greasy 
bucket ;  muddy  water  he  will  drink,  but  greasy  water 
never.  He  will  reject  his  feed  for  the  same  reason,  and 
is  probably  the  most  dainty  of  all  animals,  being  neither 
carnivorous  nor  omnivorous.  His  feed  trough  should  be 
whitewashed  inside  once  a  month  if  it  can  be  done,  and 
always  looked  into  or  felt  before  feeding,  to  out  pick  any- 
thing in  the  shape  of  a  nail  or  pebble,  if  any  happen  to  be 
there.  Never  allow  your  horse  to  drink  from  a  public  horse 
trough  without  examining  if  any  noxious  matter  happens 
to  be  there,  from  horses  before  him ;  from  not  attending 
to  this,  glanders  may  be  transmitted,  and  other  diseases. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 


MEDICINE. 

I  AM  decidedly  opposed  to  giving  medicine,  as  my 
readers  may  have  judged  ere  this, — unless  it  be  a  little 
Glauber's  salt  in  their  food.  The  drenching  and  balling 
done  by  grooms  is  not  to  be  allowed  on  any  consideration. 
Sometimes  in  ignorance  they  severely  injure  a  horse's 
throat,  to  say  nothing  of  the  permanent  injury  the  dosing 
may  do  him.  It  may  be  rank  poison  for  all  they  know, 
it  is  a  ball  to  them,  that's  enough, — down  it  is  rammed. 

I  must  confess  that  in  the  spring,  weather  just  getting 
hot  enough  to  produce  languor  or  weakness,  I  like  to  feed 
a  mixture,  as  thus:  two  tablespoons  of  hickory  ashes  (or 
oak) — wood  ashes,  one  spoon  pulverized  alum,  and  one 
fine-cut  tobacco, — what  they  call  cut-and-dry, — mix  all 
together  and  feed  in  their  chop  at  night.  It  strengthens  the 
digestive  powers  and  destroys  worms.  Certainly  I  never 
knew  it  do  any  harm. 

A  tea  made  from  the  bark  and  berry  of  common  spice- 
wood,  welt  boiled,  and  mixed  with  a  horse's  chop,  is  also 
an  excellent  thing  for  both  stomach  and  blood. 

ACUTE    FOUNDER. 

This  should  never  occur  to  a  gentleman's  horse ;  but 
for  fear  that  it  should,  it  may  be  as  well  to  know  some- 
thing about  its  cause,  treatment,  and  so  on.     First,  over- 
(114) 


MISCELLANE  OUS.  115 

heat, — being  allowed  to  swallow,  when  the  whole  system 
is  overwrought,  water  or  even  grain  ;  a  very  few  mouthfuls 
of  either  does  the  business.  When  done  his  feet  will  be 
feverish,  and  he  will  be  stiff  all  over ;  will  often  not  be 
able  to  rise.  The  only  thing  to  be  done,  and  the  sooner 
the  better,  is  to  take  from  him  from  one  to  two  gallons  of 
blood  from  the  jugular  vein.  Take  off  shoes  all  round, 
and  poultice  feet  with  fresh  cow-droppings,  to  cover  foot 
and  pastern  with  it,  if  possible;  or,  if  not  to  be  had, 
bran  or  linseed-meal  mixed  with  warm  water.  Put  on 
fresh  poultices  five  or  six  times  a  day,  and  for  some  time, 
until  he  is  able  to  bear  his  weight  comfortably  on  his  feet. 
Feeding  all  the  time  green  food,  not  a  mouthful  of  grain, 
but  as  many  carrots  and  as  much  hay  as  he  wants,  or,  if 
to  be  had,  grass.  When  he  is  sufficiently  able  -to  feed  and 
take  care  of  himself,  let  him  be  turned  into  a  soft  meadow 
for  a  few  months.  It  often  ruins  a  horse  for  all  his  after- 
life, and  a  very  little  care  would  prevent  it.  No  matter 
how  tired  a  horse  may  be,  if  you  will  only  wash  out  nos- 
trils and  mouth,  and  under  and  around  the  root  of  his 
tail,  dry  rub  his  ears,  straighten  his  hair,  and  give  him 
either  hay  or  grass,  but  the  latter  to  be  preferred, — let 
him  eat  of  these  what  he  will  for  half  an  hour,  then  give 
him  water  and  a  mash  of  scalded  oats  and  ship-stuff, — and 
he  will  be  all  right  next  day.  If  he  will  eat  a  little  hay 
before  his  water  there  is  no  danger  of  founder,  unless  he 
should  be  in  a  draught. 

One  other  cure  for  founder,  if  the  horse  can  be  taken 
soon  after  the  mischief  is  done.  Get  him  into  a  profuse 
perspiration, — in  plain  English,  sweat  it  out, — blanket  him 
all  over,  hood  and  body  blankets  (if  on  hand),  make  him 
trot,  gallop,  or  anything,  to  get  him  well  sweated;  then 
in  a  close  stable,  where  no  draught  can  reach  him,  scrape 
well  and  rub.  Give  some  tepid  water  mixed  with  a  quart 


!  !  6  M  ISC  EL  LANEO  US. 

of  corn-meal  to  the  bucket;  then  blanket  up  again,  and 
get  another  sweat  out  of  him.  Scrape  again,  put  on  dry 
clothes,  and  let  him  stand.  Feed  him  scalded  ship-stuff, 
if  grass  is  not  to  be  had, — the  latter  always  preferred, — or 
carrots  and  hay.  Without  any  more  violent  exercise,  the 
probability  is,  by  care  and  attention  to  his  diet,  and  keep- 
ing his  feet  cool,  he  may  get  over  it.  There  is  no  cer- 
tainty in  either  cure,  but  either  may  do  a  great  deal  of 
good  if  the  case  is  not  of  too  long  standing. 

WATER   AND    ITS    USES    IN    CONNECTION  WITH    FOUNDERS. 

Extremely  cold  water,  or  very  hot  water,  are  alike  use- 
ful in  cases  of  slight  founder,  or  slight  indisposition  of 
any  kind,  causing  stiffness,  want  of  appetite,  and  general 
debility,  attended  by  slight  fever.  If  he  will  drink  very 
cold  water  (ice  cold)  all  right;  if  not,  and  generally  horses 
prefer  hot  to  cold,  then  give  him  hot, — not  warm,  but  hot, 
as  hot  as  he  will  drink  it, — and  as  much  as  he  will  drink; 
it  will  cause  free  perspiration,  and  effect  a  quick  and  cer- 
tain cure,  always  provided  he  is  not  allowed  to  take  cold; 
keep  him  free  from  draughts,  and  if  the  weather  is  cold 
put  on  a  blanket  until  he  is  quite  well. 

HORSES    THAT   HAVE    BEEN    FOR    YEARS    GRAIN    FED. 

To  such,  taking  off  shoes  and  turning  out  to  pasture,  if 
but  for  two  weeks  every  year,  gives  them  a  new  lease  of 
life,  and  almost  insures  them  against  lameness  from  crip- 
pled feet.  It  is  a  great  thing  to  give  a  horse  grass  in 
summer;  nothing  cools  him  so  nicely,  or  is  so  grateful 
to  his  appetite.  If  gentlemen  would  take  the  trouble  to 
let  their  horses  pick  grass,  or  pluck  it  and  give  them  on  a  hot 
afternoon,  the  avidity  with  which  they  eat,  and  the  seem- 
ing enjoyment  to  them,  would  repay  the  owner  for  the 


MISCELLANE  0  US. 


Iiy 


trouble,  and  then  the  horse  returns  to  his  stable  with  a 
renewed  stomach  for  his  night's  feed. 

RINGWORM  AND   VERMIN. 

The  former  very  much  resembles  the  same  in  a  human 
being,  coming  in  ugly  blotches  on  the  horse  under  his 
mane,  and  thighs,  belly,  and  behind  the  fore  legs. 
When  discovered  the  horse  should  be  kept  by  himself,  and 
anoint  the  affected  parts  with  a  mercurial  ointment  (red 
precipitate),  to  destroy  the  parasitic  fungus,  once  a  day 
for  a  few  days ;  feed  meanwhile  on  cooling  food ;  have 
him  well  rubbed  with  hay  or  straw ;  neither  curry-comb  or 
brush  need  be  used  at  this  time,  particularly  if  he  is  in  a 
stable  with  other  horses,  and  yet  apart  from  them,  as  he 
should  be.  A  week  of  care  will  cure,  but  he  must  not  be 
allowed  to  go  out  nor  have  any  chance  of  getting  cold ;  to 
subject  him  to  that  would  be  to  ruin  him. 

VERMIN  (LICE). 

A  horse  wintered  in  the  country  (poorly),  nothing  but 
hay,  and  that  possibly  of  bad  quality,  is  very  apt  to  come 
up  in  the  spring  with  a  hide  covering  multitudes  of  lice. 
If  his  coat  stares,  and  his  eyes  look  dull,  and  he  scratches 
himself  in  the  stall,  look  for  them;  and  when  found,  as 
they  will  be,  use  the  same  ointment  as  in  the  case  of  ring- 
worm, only  rub  it  around  the  base  of  the  ears,  down  along 
the  root  of  mane,  under  the  fore  arm,  along  the  spine, 
root  of  tail,  and  under  thighs  inside ;  a  few  anointings 
will  kill  them  all.  Keep  them  out  of  the  weather  also,  until 
the  effect  of  the  mercury  has  been  dissipated. 

MANGE. 

This  is  a  skin  disease,  the  hair  seeming  to  rot  and  fall 
off,  and  is  decidedly  contagious.  To  be  sure  of  it. 


n8 


M ISC  EL  LANEO  US. 


scratch  him  along  the  mane,  and  he  will  stretch  out  his 
neck  to  get  the  full  enjoyment  of  your  titillation.   For  cure 


THE   TEST   FOR   MANGE. 


use  an  ointment,  say  four  ounces  of  strong  mercurial  oint- 
ment to  one  pound  of  soft  soap ;  anoint  freely. 


A    CRIBBER 

cannot  be  called  exactly  un- 
sound, and  yet  such  a  horse 
may  so  fill  himself  with  wind 
as  to  unfit  him  for  the  work  of  a 
sound  horse ;  it  is  a  habit  one 
animal  will  take  from  another, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  its  origin 
may  be  traced  to  a  diseased 
stomach.  This  is  a  case  in  which 
rock-salt  in  his  stall  always  may 
do  some  good,  by  keeping  his 
stomach  cool ;  he  will  not  want 
to  crib;  but  the  habit  once  acquired  is  hard  to  break;  a 
strap  around  the  neck,  buckled  tight,  will  do  it  for  the 
time. 

EGG    BLISTER. 

In  a  case  where  you  only  want  a  moderate  blister,  as  it 
will  only  ruff  the  hair  if  not  too  severely  applied,  take  the 
white  of  three  eggs,  one  wineglass  of  turpentine,  and  one 


A    HORSE    IN   THE    ACT    OF    CRIB- 
BITING. 


MISCELLANE  O  US. 


119 


of  proof  whisky,  put  in  any  vessel,  stir  well,  and  heat  in 
the  sun  or  in  a  stove  for  a  few  hours,  until  it  becomes  a 
thick  paste,  then  rub  the  affected  part  twice  or  thrice  a  day, 
as  seems  best.  A  fine  horse  came  to  me  lately, — hind 
sinews  strained  badly.  I  did  nothing  but  rub  with  this 
egg  blister,  and  he  was  cured  entirely.  True,  I  altered  his 
shoes,  to  take  the  strain  off  the  heel  and  put  it  on  the  toe. 

SURFEIT, 

from  the  combined  causes  of  over-feeding  and  over-heat- 


ing,  sometimes  give  much  trouble, — the  animal  feels  very 


!  20  MISCELLANE  O  US. 

badly,  his  digestive  powers  are  weakened,  he  breaks  out 
in  skin  blotches,  and  is  unfit  for  work.  Bleed  from  the 
neck  liberally,  feed  him  nothing  but  green  food,  as  much 
as  he  will  eat ;  if  that  is  not  to  be  had,  wheaten  mashes 
and  saltpetre,  as  before  directed ;  stand  him  on  clay,  or 
stuff  his  feet  with  it  and  let  him  rest ;  keep  his  skin  clean 
that  the  pores  may  be  open  and  nature  act.  A  few  days 
of  this  treatment  will  make  him  all  right  again. 

HIDE-BOUND. 

This  is  not  by  any  means  unsoundness,  it  is  brought 
about  by  neglect,  irregular  and  bad  feeding,  combined 
with  want  of  rubbing,  from  which  his  pores  are  measura- 
bly inactive.  Have  him  well  cared  for ;  feed  chop  every 
night  for  a  time  (corn-meal  and  shorts),  water  regularly, 
and  give  him  to  amuse  himself  plenty  of  good  pure  clay 
and  salt;  in  a  short  time  his  hide  will  be  healthfully 
loose. 

ROARING,    OR   A   ROARER. 

An  unnatural  sound,  seemingly  from  the  throat  (when  in 
action).  It  may  be  produced  by  some  unseen  compression 
of  the  larynx,  or  by  some  particular  conformation  of  the 
throat  from  some  injury  received, — possibly  from  having 
a  ball  administered  injudiciously;  thus,  with  his  head 
braced  up  very  high,  the  noise  is  necessitated.  It  is  un- 
doubtedly unsoundness,  and  not  likely  to  be  cured ;  cool- 
ing food,  and  allowing  his  head  to  remain  in  the  position 
nature  intended  it,  may  do  some  good. 

BROKEN    WIND. 

This  is  a  sad  affliction,  and  seems  somewhat  of  the  same 
general  character  as  asthma  in  the  human  being,  and  is 
brought  about  by  insufficient  nourishing  food,  where  a 


MISCELLANE  O  US. 


121 


large  amount  of  work  is  required,  allowing  his  health  to 
run  down  for  want  of  care,  great  exposure,  and  starvation, 
— whether  in  the  lungs  or  stomach,  or  both,  is  hard  to  tell ; 


the  poor  creature  is  a  burden  to  himself  and  valueless  to 
his  owner. 

CROOKED    OR   SPRUNG  KNEES. 

Occasionally  we  meet  a  horse  fresh  from  the  country, 
young  and  sound  save  his  being  forward  on  his  front  legs. 
The  dealer  will  probably  tell  you  he  was  so  from  his  early 
coltship ;  and  from  his  youth  at  present  it  may  be  so,  and  he 

F  II 


1 2  2  MISCELLANE  O  US. 

may  still  be  a  sure-footed  horse.  In  that  case  it  is  waste  of 
time  to  attempt  a  remedy;  but  if  he  should  become  for- 
ward in  your  ownership,  and  be  a  reasonably  young  horse, 
say  from  five  to  ten  years,  as  soon  as  you  notice  the  de- 
cided weakness,  have  shoes  off,  and  let  him  have  a  run  at 
pasture  (if  possible,  an  entire  let-up  from  work),  and  whilst 
idle  have  the  back  of  his  leg  or  legs  (for  sometimes  only 
one  is  affected)  rubbed  twice  a  day  with  dog's  fat,  if  to  be 
had, — if  not  to  be  had,  hog's  lard,  with  a  small  quantity 
of  pulverized  camphor  mixed  or  melted  in  with  it,  say 
four  ounces  to  the  pound  of  lard.  Three  months'  rest  will 
probably  restore  him  for  years  of  usefulness. 

TO    CURE    A    SHYER   OR  JIBBER. 

Under  some  circumstances  it  is  impossible  to  abso- 
lutely prevent  a  shy, — as,  for  instance,  if  it  comes  from 
defect  of  vision.  In  that  case  the  only  remedy  is  to  cure 
the  diseased  organ.  True,  a  horse  having  confidence  in 
his  rider,  when  about  to  shy,  if  spoken  to  and  encour- 
aged, may  be  diverted  from  his  object;  but  it  may  be  of 
so  frequent  recurrence  as  to  become  irksome  to  the  rider; 
and  there  is  no  cure,  unless  to  cure  the  sight.  Some 
horses  shy  from  habit ;  having  once  learned  their  power 
to  wheel  and  run,  they  will  do  it  for  their  own  amusement. 
To  cure  that  is  very  simple :  when  he  wheels,  just  at  the 
moment  apply  the  opposite  spur  pretty  vigorously,  and 
draw  the  opposite  rein  (snaffle),  turn  him  clean  around, 
that  will  stop  his  run,  and  face  him  to  the  object.  Now 
incline  both  spurs,  and  with  steady  hand  and  seat  speak 
to  him  to  go  on  :  if  he  still  refuses,  and  wheels  again, 
repeat  the  same  method ;  only  at  each  repetition  let  him 
feel  more  punishment  from  the  spur.  A  very  few  attempts 
will  satisfy  him  that  in  this  case  he  has  mistaken  his  man, 
and  that  he  is  no  more  master.  A  shy  from  absolute  fright 


MISCELLANE  O  US. 


123 


must  be  treated  without  punishment,  but  with  firmness. 
Let  him  have  his  gallop  out,  a  short  distance  from  the 
object  of  his  fright,  then  wheel  him,  and  caressingly  urge 
him  back,  but  not  fast,  slow  but  decidedly ;  and  so  repeat 
until  he  will  come  up  to  and  near  the  object.  Nervous 
shyers  to  be  treated  the  same  as  affrighted  ones. 

DISEASES    OF    THE    URINARY    ORGANS. 

A  horse  affected  with  inflammation  of  the  kidneys,  or 
any  of  the  surrounding  parts,  will  show  it  by  straddling  as 


he  walks,  to  enable  him  to  relieve  some  pressure  on  the 


!  2  4  M ISC  EL  LANEO  US. 

inflamed  parts,  that  would  otherwise,  in  his  natural  gait, 
be  very  painful  to  him.  True,  these  organs  in  the  horse 
are  very  little  prone  to  disease ;  if  observed,  however, 
and  you  find  him  suffering  apparently  as  he  travels,  give 
half  an  ounce  of  sweet  nitre  in  his  mash,  for  two  or  three 
nights  successively;  let  him  remain  without  work  during 
that  time.  Feed  nothing  but  cooling  food, — no  grain ; 
warm  mashes,  or  grass  (if  to  be  had) ;  keep  his  strength 
up  by  mashes  of  ship-stuff;  if  grass  cannot  be  had,  feed 
carrots  instead.  If  he  gets  no  better,  then  send  for  a 
regular  practitioner.  A  teaspoonful  of  pulverized  rosin 
sometimes  has  a  happy  effect,  if  the  obstruction  is  not  great. 

BRITTLE    HOOFS. 

Often  an  otherwise  valuable  horse  has  feet  that  will  not 
hold  a  nail  for  any  length  of  time,  and  has  to  be  sent  to 
the  smith-shop  once  a  week  to  have  new  nails  put  in, 
and  shoes  removed ;  all  this  is  necessarily  attended  with 
great  expense,  and  the  foot  at  last  becomes  so  bad  that 
the  horse  is  useless.  The  cure  is  as  simple  as  it  is  certain. 
Have  a  tin  or  earthen  vessel  standing  in  the  stable  out  of 
the  way  of  your  horse;  let  it  be  said  to  contain  a  gallon, 
more  or  less ;  every  morning  let  it  be  filled  with  cham- 
ber lye,  a  stick,  some  three  feet  long  with  some  rags 
fastened  at  the  end,  put  in  it ;  with  this  let  your  groom 
swab  your  horse's  feet  as  often  as  he  pleases,  at  least  a 
dozen  times  a  day,  keeping  them  stopped  meanwhile  with 
cow-droppings  or  flaxseed-meal.  Feed  cooling  food,  and 
in  a  few  weeks  your  horse's  feet  will  be  perfectly  sound, 
when  the  practice  can  be  discontinued. 

CLIPPING. 

On  this  subject  much  has  been  said  pro  and  con.  All 
I  shall  say  is  simply  that  a  horse  used  for  light  purposes, 
to  be  speeded  often  on  the  track  or  road,  causing  great 


MISCELLANE  OUS.  !  25 

perspiration,  if  he  is  a  heavy-coated  horse  naturally, 
should  be  clipped  in  the  fall :  of  course  he  must  be  more 
carefully  blanketed  than  the  undipped  horse.  The  reason 
for  this  is  obvious;  he  comes  in  sweated,  the  weather 
cold,  he  cannot  from  the  thickness  of  his  hair  be  rubbed 
dry,  and,  no  matter  how  many  blankets  put  on,  he  will 
remain  clammy  all  night,  and,  of  course,  cannot  feel  well 
next  day ;  therefore  such  a  horse,  I  say,  have  clipped ;  but 
that  is  the  only  kind  I  indorse  the  practice  for.  Of 
course  this  will  apply  to  menage  horses,  and  all  others 
that  are  intended  for  such  severe  work,  causing  immense 
perspiration  in  cold  weather.  In  hot  weather  they  dry 
off  without  it,  and  then  their  summer  coat  is  by  nature 
lighter,  and  it  is  not  necessary. 

BLANKETING    AFTER   A   DRIVE. 

There  should  be  two  blankets  for  every  horse  in  a  gen- 
tleman's stable:  one  for  the  stable,  and  another  for  a  dress- 
blanket  to  take  out  with  you.  The  stable  one  should  be 
all  wool  and  large,  and  should  not  be  put  on  at  once  when 
the  horse  comes  in  wet;  let  him  steam  off  for  five  minutes, 
during  which  time  rub  his  head,  ears,  and  over  the  loins; 
then  double  the  blanket  and  throw  it  over  his  loins,  and 
commence  to  rub  from  head  to  loins,  then,  being  still 
double,  put  it  over  his  shoulders  and  continue  to  rub  loins 
and  hind  parts.  Now  pull  it  back  single  from  withers  to 
croup,  first  buckling  in  front.  Now  rub  his  legs  well,  and 
up  under  thighs ;  give  his  hay,  and  let  him  munch  at  that ; 
buckle  up  surcingle,  and  let  him  alone  for  the  night. 
Even  if  not  quite  dry,  the  perspiration  will  come  out  on 
the  top  of  woolen  blanket,  and  his  skin  will  be  warm  and 
comfortable.  Feed  and  water  without  fear  of  trouble, 
and  in  the  morning  you  will  find  him  warm  and  feeling 
better  than  if  you  fussed  over  him  half  the  night. 

n* 


I26"  MISCELLANE  O  US. 

BLANKETING    GENERALLY. 

A  horse  of  all  work  should  not  be  blanketed  until  win- 
ter has  fairly  set  in,  as  the  early  blanketing  prevents  nature 
from  putting  on  as  warm  a  coat  as  she  would  otherwise 
do.  If  a  horse  comes  in  cold  and  chilly,  a  blanket  thrown 
over  him  until  the  stable  is  shut  up  for  the  night  is  good 
for  him ;  but  then  it  is  better  to  take  it  off.  I  am  opposed 
to  the  custom  prevailing  of  heavy  blanketing,  it  tends  to 
make  the  horse  tender  and  liable  to  colds. 

Horses  driven  by  physicians,  and  all  others  much  ex- 
posed in  very  bad,  cold  weather,  should  have  a  short 
blanket  from  the  saddle  back,  and  a  breast-piece  of 
blanket.  In  very  wet  weather  a  rubber  in  the  place  of  a 
blanket  should  be  used.  A  blanket,  if  soaked,  and  the 
horse  standing  in  it,  is  worse  than  nothing  on  him. 

Horses  so  used  in  our  cities,  and  all  other  places,  that 
are  from  their  duties  necessitated  to  stand  (after  probably 
a  sharp  little  drive)  exposed  to  all  weathers,  should  under 
all  circumstances,  when  having  to  stand  the  brunt  of  a 
storm,  either  of  wind,  rain,  sleet,  or  snow,  be  turned  tail 
to  it.  The  vehicle  behind  them  affords  them  some  pro- 
tection, and  as  it  is  their  natural  mode  of  standing  in  a 
storm,  to  them  is  afforded  a  great  amount  of  comparative 
comfort  over  the  opposite  position  of  heading  the  storm, 
the  latter  subjecting  the  animals  to  colds  and  inflamma- 
tions arising  therefrom,  and  possibly  in  some  causing  the 
loss  of  a  fine  horse.  The  trouble  so  to  place  him  is  nothing ; 
but  the  insurance  against  disease  is  great. 

Driving  in  blankets,  as  many  coachmen  do,  is  all  wrong ; 
they  should  take  the  blankets  on  the  box  with  them,  and, 
Jf  required  to  stand  a  long  time,  double  and  throw  over 
the  horse's  loins  when  standing. 


MISCELLANE  0  US. 


127 


HINTS    TO    A   GENTLEMAN    TRAVELING    WITH    HIS    OWN 
HORSES. 

If  you  have  a  five  hundred  mile  journey  before  you,  by 
all  means  take  your  own  groom,  as  you  can  only  rely  on 
country  hostlers  to  feed  and  water.  Supposing  the  season 
to  be  summer,  time  it,  if  you  can,  to  have  moonlight 
nights.  First,  have  your  horse's  shoes  attended  to  a  few 
days  before  starting, — if  new  ones  are  required  his  feet 
will  have  become  used  to  them  before  starting;  if  the  old 
ones  are  good,  have  them  removed  only.  Be  ready  to 
start  at  four  in  the  morning,  and  feed  before  starting  only 
two  quarts  of  oats  to  each  horse;  take  your  own  cleaning 
tools, — all,  including  bucket, — to  enable  you  to  wash 
mouth  and  water  at  little  rivulets,  as  you  meet  them.  Do 
not  drive  over  five  miles  an  hour  for  the  first  four  hours,  that 
will  take  you  twenty  miles  to  breakfast.  That  being  in 
progress  of  cooking,  have  your  horses  stripped,  and  lead 
on  to  a  greensward;  after  eating  five  minutes,  they  will 
want  to  roll ;  let  them  do  it  to  their  heart's  content. 
Now  put  in  stable,  wisp  off  and  straighten  hair  with  cards, 
and  give  them  each  two  pounds  of  hay;  have  legs  hand- 
rubbed  whilst  eating  this.  Now  they  may  be  watered  and 
fed  four  quarts  of  oats,  bed  well,  and  shut  up  stable ;  make 
it  as  dark  as  possible,  to  keep  out  flies.  After  eating,  if 
not  disturbed,  they  will  lie  down  and  rest  until  nearly 
noon;  then  feed  ten  quarts  of  oats  to  each  and  water, 
and  make  your  arrangements  to  be  off  at  three  P.M.  In 
the  afternoon's  drive,  in  fact  in  all  the  drives,  average 
the  time  or  distance  in  the  time, — five  miles  an  hour,  but 
do  not  let  it  be  done  by  steady  jogging,  wake  your 
horses  up  now  and  then,  and  drive  half  a  mile  at  a  ten 
mile  an  hour  gait ;  then  go  back  to  a  three  mile  or  walk. 
Change  their  speed  every  now  and  then  for  their  relief, 


1 2  8  MISCELLANE  O  US. 

and  wash  out  mouths  at  least  once  every  hour  if  roads  are 
dusty.  From  three  o'clock  until  eight  will  put  twenty-five 
miles  behind  you,  that  will  do  for  the  first  day  and  second. 
After  that  they  will  be  a  little  seasoned,  and  you  can  go 
fifty-five  to  sixty  a  day  without  injury.  Supposing  you  at 
eight  o'clock  at  your  journey's  end  for  that  day,  then  do 
as  in  the  morning ;  let  them  eat  grass  and  roll  if  they  will, 
— the  former  they  will  certainly  if  you  give  them  the 
chance.  After  putting  in  the  stable,  and  wisping  off  and 
rubbing  legs,  give  hay  again — two  pounds.  That  eaten, 
water,  and  give  six  quarts  of  oats,  or,  if  you  can  get  it, 
some  middlings  or  rich  ship-stuff;  put  two  quarts  of  that 
to  four  of  oats  for  night's  feed, — wet  it  a  little;  then, 
after  all,  give  six  pounds  of  hay,  bed  well,  and  leave  them 
for  the  night,  after  stopping  their  feet  with  cow-droppings. 
Do  this  every  night,  as  it  will  keep  their  feet  delightfully 
cool,  and  they  will  feel  so  much  better  for  it  in  the  morning. 
Your  groom  should  be  up  at  three  o'clock,  clean  and  feed; 
only  give  two  quarts  of  oats  before  starting  at  four,  no 
hay.  Then  pursue  the  same  course  as  the  first  day,  and 
if  you  wish  to  increase  the  distance  to  fifty-five  miles, 
drive  five  more  in  the  morning  and  five  more  in  the  even- 
ing; divide  the  ten  miles.  By  this  careful  mode  you  can 
drive  a  good  pair  of  horses  five  hundred  or  one  thousand 
miles  without  the  slightest  injury  to  themselves,  and  with 
great  pleasure  to  the  driver. 

BOG,    OR   BLOOD    SPAVIN, 

was  omitted  in  treating  on  bone  spavin.  It  does  not 
always  cause  lameness;  in  fact,  seldom.  When  it  does, 
if  the  horse  is  an  old  friend,  try  removing  it  by  absorp- 
tion,— it  is  the  only  reasonable  way ;  if  that  will  not  do, 
nothing  will. 


MISCELLANE  O  US. 


129 


BLEEDING. 

Use  fleam  or  lancet  to  bleed  in  the  neck.     The 
the  old  style,  and  the  safer  instrument.    It  is  to  be 
on  the  side  and  top  of  vein,  and  struck  with  a 
piece  of  hard  wood,  so  as  to  cut  down  and 
across,  not  straight,  for  fear  of  injuring  other 
side  of  vein.     The  latter  (lancet)  has  more 
the  appearance  of  a  regular  surgical  instru- 
ment, and  is  therefore  most  used  by  the  prac- 
titioner, when,  as  in  fleam,  it  is  necessary  to 
blindfold  on  the  side  you  strike.    For  smaller  TWISTED 
veins,  use  small  thumb-lance  or  penknife. 


PRESSING  THE  BLOOD   CAN   AGAINST    THE   NECK,  TO  ARREST   THE   DOWNVVAKU   CUXKENT, 
AND    TO    CAUSE   THE    BLOOD    TO    FLOW    FORTH. 


130 


MISCELLANE  O  US. 


A   BALKY   HORSE    OR   JIBBER. 

It  is  difficult  to  get  him  over  the  habit,  which  must  be 
done  without  the  whip,  or  even  its  presence.  Some  will 
back  and  break  your  vehicle,  and  to  whip  them  will  prob- 


ably  produce  a  kick.  It  is  not  the  weight  or  their  inability 
to  pull  from  any  cause ;  they  have  been  spoiled,  and  do  it 
for  mere  deviltry,  knowing  their  power  in  that.  The  only 


MISCELLANEOUS.  131 

way  to  get  over  it  is  to  find  what  they  are  fond  off:  sugar, 
or  apples,  or  whatever  it  is ;  and  before  you  get  in  to  drive 
let  them  advance  to  you  to  get  the  desired  object;  give 
it,  jump  in  quickly,  and  start  off  immediately.  The 
object  is  to  get  the  idea  out  of  their  noddle  ;  the  ex- 
pected treat  does  it.  You  don't  give  them  a  chance  to 
balk;  instead  of  it,  you  treat  your  horse  to  something. 
He  forgets  it  for  the  time,  and  possibly  by  frequent  atten- 
tions may  be  cured  for  all  time  as  far  as  you  are  concerned. 
When  another  owner  gets  him,  he  may  go  back  to  his  old 
tricks  unless  he  knows  how  to  tickle  him. 

ECONOMY    IN    FEEDING. 

The  following  remarks  are  not  intended  to  interfere 
with,  or  at  all  contradict  the  directions  given  for  feeding 
under  the  head  of  Stable  Management  in  another  chapter, 
as  that  represented  the  stable  of  a  gentleman  who  has  his 
horses  driven  probably  but  once  a  day,  and  then  a  sharp 
ten  or  twenty  miles'  drive,  and  whose  horses  should  always 
be  kept  in  tip-top  condition;  but  this  is  simply  for  another 
class  of  gentlemen,  viz.,  those  to  whom  economy  is  a  neces- 
sity. There  are  many  such,  obliged  from  their  situation  to 
keep  a  horse,  with  but  little  work  for  him  to  do;  still,  that 
little  requires  a  horse.  To  such  I  \^ould  say,  when  corn 
is  seventy-five  cents  a  bushel,  and  o&ts  from  forty-five  to 
fifty  cents,  feed  corn,  as  one  bushel  of  corn  is  about  equal 
to  two  of  oats  in  its  nourishing  properties  ;  it  is  therefore 
cheaper  by  nearly  one-half.  True,  it  is  a  little  more 
trouble,  but  very  little,  as  it  should  be  soaked  for  at  least 
twelve  hours  before  feeding, — that  is,  after  it  has  become 
hardened  by  age  and  exposure  to  the  air  (after  being 
shelled).  The  reason  for  soaking  and  making  compara- 
tively soft  is,  simply,  that  being  very  1  \  a  horse  fed 
sparingly,  as  I  propose  for  an  economist,  will  be  generally 


I32  MISCELLANEOUS. 

very  greedy,  and  will  not  take  time  to  properly  masticate 
the  hard  corn  but  swallow  it  whole  (in  part  at  least), 
which  will  do  him  harm  instead  of  good  ;  if  soaked,  it  is 
comparatively  soft,  easily  masticated,  and  of  course  more 
easily  digested,  and  he  gets  the  full  benefit  of  its  strength 
in  nourishment.  Two  quarts  of  this,  with  two  pounds  of 
hay  in  the  morning,  two  pounds  of  hay  at  noon  only, 
and  two  quarts  of  corn,  with  six  pounds  of  hay,  at  night, 
will  keep  any  horse  in  good  order  and  healthy  for  short 
drives  and  light  work.  If  in  the  summer,  and  grass  can 
be  substituted  for  hay,  so  much  the  better.  At  seventy- 
five  cents  per  bushel  for  corn  (a  bushel  will  yield  thirty- 
two  quarts),  four  quarts  a  day  will  last  eight  days, — that  is 
about  ten  cents  a  day, — and  ten  pounds  of  hay  at  twenty 
dollars  a  ton  is  one  cent  a  pound,  or  ten  cents  a  day :  with 
the  corn  is  twenty  cents  a  day,  for  a  week  is  one  dollar 
and  forty  cents ;  cheap  enough.  On  this  you  can  keep 
your  horse,  for  the  work  as  above  described,  in  good 
order,  provided  he  is  otherwise  properly  attended  to,  and 
regularly  cleaned,  watered,  and  bedded  ;  the  latter,  if  in 
the  country,  need  cost  nothing  but  the  gathering,  as  green 
weeds  in  the  summer  and  leaves  in  the  winter  are  all 
that  are  necessary.  My  reader  will  say,  what  a  bother  to 
weigh  the  hay  every  meal !  I  say  it  is  very  little  trouble; 
a  patent  balance,  costing  twenty-five  cents,  weighs  twenty- 
five  pounds ;  tie  up  what  you  suppose  two  pounds  of  hay, 
weigh,  and  regulate  that  and  your  six  pounds  night  feed, 
and  in  a  few  days  you  can  guess  within  a  fraction  of  the 
amount  without  more  weighing ;  and  you  can  save  all 
the  trouble  of  soaking  the  corn  for  at  least  four  months 
in  the  year,  from  November  until  March,  by  feeding  it  on 
the  cob,  right  out  of  the  field.  Many  will  say  it  is  dan- 
gerous to  feed  it  green,  unless  you  feed  much  salt  with  it: 
that  is  a  great  mistake,  salt  begets  thirst,  and  much  water 


MISCELLANE  O  US.  1 33 

to  slake  that  thirst,  on  green  corn,  might  produce  colic; 
by  itself,  with  the  hay  fed  first,  there  is  no  danger.  I  have 
fed  it  for  thirty  years  and  never  had  a  sick  horse  from  it ; 
but  instead  of  salt,  I  feed  a  tablespoonful  of  ground  gin- 
ger for  a  few  days,  each  day  with  the  corn,  and  consider 
it  in  the  fall  the  very  best  food  a  horse  can  partake  of; 
from  six  to  eight  fair-sized  ears  in  the  morning,  and  the 
same  at  night,  are  enough  for  all  necessary  purposes  for  a 
horse  of  little  and  slow  work.  You  may  even  drive  him 
some  pretty  nice  spurts  on  such  feed,  only  do  not  make 
them  too  long,  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile ;  but  he 
will  stand  ten  miles  a  day  of  easy  work  on  such  feed  and 
continue  to  thrive.  And  again,  another  piece  of  economy 
is  to  have  him  shod  with  tips  all  the  time,  instead  of 
shoes,  as  they  should  cost  but  half  price. 

COLT'S  DISTEMPER. 

This  is  common  in  colts,  and  only  requires  care  and  a 
little  knowledge.  If  swollen  about  the  glands,  blister 
with  egg-blister,  or  a  mixture  of  three  parts  turpentine 
and  one  part  sweet  oil ;  rub  in  pretty  well,  and  keep  in  a 
good,  comfortable  stable  and  feed  wet  hay,  salted,  and 
wheat  mashes,  warm,  and  give  to  drink  tepid  water.  If 
he  gets  worse,  swelling  increasing,  poultice  with  brown 
soap  and  brown  sugar,  in  order  to  induce  its  breaking  on 
the  outside ;  that  done,  he  will  soon  get  well,  only  keep 
up  his  strength  by  cooling  mashes,  and  keep  him  in  a  warm 
stable. 

HORSE    EPIZOOTIC. 

9 

In  view  of  the  epizootic  now  raging  in  Canada  and 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  and  since  in  Boston  and  New  York 
City,  on  the  old  principle  that  an  ounce  of  prevention  is 
worth  a  pound  of  cure,  I  would  advise  all  owners  and 

12 


134 


MISCELLANE  O  US. 


stable-keepers   to  have   their   stables   thoroughly  white- 
washed, also  feed-troughs,   inside  as  well  as  outside, — of 
course  stables  well  ventilated, — and  to  continue  to  white- 
wash   inside  of  troughs  three  times  a  week   during  the 
prevalence  of  the  disease.     I  would  also  have  a  lump  of 
assafcetida,  size  of  an  egg,  put  securely  in  a  rag,  out  of 
the  reach  of  the  horse's  mouth,  but  so  that  he  can  inhale 
some  of  the  odor  from  it ;  this  done,  if  the  disease  shows 
itself  by  a  disagreeable  discharge  from  the  nose  and  red- 
dening of  the  membranes  of  the  eyes  and  nose  with  a 
slight  hacking  cough  and  general  depression,  with  excited 
pulse,  go  to  work  at  once.    Give  him  to  drink  hot  water, 
as  hot  as  he  will  drink  it ;   mix  two  tablespoon  fills  of  nitre 
in  half  a  pail  of  water,  and  let   him  drink  as  much  hot 
water  as  he  will ;  and  feed  slops  (the  rich  offal  of  wheat), 
ship-stuff,  and  that  scalded  first,  and  then  cooled  a  little, 
so  that  he  can  take  it  warm ;  mix  a  little  salt  in  this,  to 
create  thirst  for  more  warm  water.     If  the  legs  are  cold, 
steep  in  hot  water,  very  hot ;   put  each  leg  in  a  bucket  of 
it,  and  sponge  the  whole  leg  for  a  considerable  time,  say 
fifteen  minutes,  and  then  rub  dry ;   quickly  wrap  up  in 
heavy  flannels,  not  very  tight,  but  still  tight   enough  to 
remain  on ;  this  done,  perspiration  will  almost  to  a  cer- 
tainty follow.    If  so,  rub  dry,  blanket  lightly,  and  keep 
him  out  of  any  draft,  and  the  chances  are  the  horse  will 
get  over  it ;  if,  on  the  contrary,  he  still  has  fever,  make  a 
blister  of  the  whites  of  three  eggs,  one  wine-glass  of  tur- 
pentine, one  of  proof  spirits,  mix  well,  then  warm  it, 
and  it  will  thicken  to  a  paste,  and  rub  this  in  well  behind 
the  shoulder   about    the    lung,  once,  twice,  or  thrice,  if 
necessary.     If  these  things  cannot  be  had,  use  any  other 
blisters,  all  the  while  keeping  extremities  warm,  and  feed 
warm  food  and  hot  drinks;  his  throat  may  be  rubbed  with 
same  paste,  if  perceptibly  swollen  ;   at  same  time  keep 


MISCELLANEOUS.  135 

nose  and  mouth  well  sponged  with  vinegar  diluted  with 
water.  Meanwhile,  have  the  floor  of  the  stall  covered 
(where  the  urine  falls),  and  about  the  spot,  with  ground 
plaster  of  Paris, — it  will  take  up  and  fix  the  ammonia 
therefrom  and  relieve  the  air  of  the  stable  very  much.  If 
that  is  not  to  be  had,  ground  charcoal, — or  braes  of 
charcoal,  is  the  next  best  absorbent.  Of  course  this  ap- 
plies chiefly  to  a  diseased  stable. 

ON    HARNESS. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  that  your  narness  is  good 
and  strong,  not  only  the  leather  but  the  buckles  and 
keepers  should  be  all  right ;  the  former  should  be  made 
of  the  very  best  iron.  In  olden  time,  when  all  buckles 
were  made  of  good  wrought-iron  and  heavy,  there  was 
no  danger ;  but  now,  when  almost  everything  is  made  of 
cast-iron, — what  they  call  malleable  casting, — I  do  not 
consider  any  one  very  safe.  True,  if  the  pig  from  which 
the  casting  is  made  comes  from  a  reliable  ironmaster, 
and  is  made  in  a  cold-blast  charcoal  furnace,  and  from 
a  proper  combination  of  magnetic  and  hematite  ores,  the 
casting  may  be  as  strong  as  necessary.  But  how  is  the 
buyer  of  a  set  of  harness  to  know  all  this?  It  is  impossi- 
ble ;  therefore  I  recommend  all  gentlemen  to  buy  from  a 
good  reliable  maker,  charging  him  to  test  every  piece  of 
iron  he  puts  in,  and  be  sure  not  to  have  his  harness  too 
light ;  it  may  at  any  time  be  subjected  to  a  heavier  strain 
than  expected  when  made,  and  therefore  it  is  better  to 
have  it  always  on  the  strong  side.  A  very  serious  accident 
may  occur  from  what  one  not  accustomed  to  harness  may 
think  a  most  useless  strap,  and  that  is  the  outside  belly- 
band  ;  if  it  becomes  unbuckled,  or  breaks  going  down  a 
hill,  what  chance  has  a  horse  to  hold  back  the  vehicle  ? 
Not  any ;  up  go  the  shafts  over  his  back  as  far  as  the 


136    '  MISCELLANEOUS. 

tugs  will  allow,  and  he  has  no  control  of  the  wagon  at  all; 
it  comes  on  his  heels  necessarily,  and  what  follows  ? 
Either  a  kicking  scrape,  upset,  run  away,  or  smash-up 
generally.  Very  few  attach  any  importance  to  this  strap, 
therefore  I  mention  it. 

Again :  a  gentleman  driving  his  wife  and  family 
(within  a  few  days),  although  everything  was  new,  at  the 
top  of  a  long  hill,  going  slowly  down,  the  hook,  or 
connecting  iron  between  the  saddle  and  crupper,  broke, — 
the  iron  broke,  it  was  fastened  to  the  saddle  by  a  rivet 
one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick — that  was  made  of  cast-iron, 
and  having  an  unseen  flaw,  broke;  consequence,  breeching 
dropped  on  the  horse's  heels;  then  he  commenced  to 
kick  and  run,  and  the  whole  family  were  more  or  less  in- 
jured,— the  lady,  it  is  feared,  will  never  recover.  I  men- 
tion this  to  show  the  importance  of  having  reliable  tackle  ; 
without  it  you  are  never  safe,  especially  in  a  hilly  country. 
A  good  plan  is  to  have  two  short  straps  from  back  strap 
attached  to  the  side  of  your  saddle ;  in  that  case,  if  rivet  or 
anything  about  it  breaks,  the  straps  keep  all  in  place. 

TO    KEEP    HARNESS    OR   BRIDLES    IN    ORDER. 

They  should  be  wiped  off  with  a  damp  sponge  every 
morning,  and  then  with  a  sponge  filled  with  the  heavy 
suds  of  Castile  soap  (I  don't  mean  the  light  soap-suds)  ; 
squeeze  that  out  and  rub  more  soap  in  the  sponge,  until 
the  suds  are  thick ;  rub  or  polish  all  the  leather  over  with 
that,  especially  in  and  about  all  the  buckles  and  billets 
(all  over),  it  will  give  the  leather  a  nice  polish,  and  keep 
it  soft.  Twice  a  year  harness  should  be  greased  with  neat's- 
foot  oil,  if  to  be  had ;  if  not,  whale  oil  (sperm).  Of  bits, 
stirrups,  and  spurs:  if  of  steel,  wip?  dry  after  use,  and 
rub  with  an  oiled  rag,  sweet  oil ;  if  of  brass,  use  rotten- 
stone  and  any  acid. 


MISCELLANEOUS.  !37 

CONCLUSION. 

In  fine,  taking  leave  of  my  readers,  I  hope  they  have 
ere  this  discovered  that  in  penning  the  foregoing  hints 
I  have  been  throughout  impelled  by  the  hope,  slight 
though  it  may  be,  of  ameliorating  the  condition  of  the 
noblest  animal  that  God  has  given  to  man ;  and  I  shall 
be  amply  repaid  for  the  little  trouble  if  my  lady  and  gen- 
tlemen owners  and  riders  will  personally  attend  to  their 
horses'  welfare  and  comfort.  In  fact,  these  remarks  are  in- 
tended for  all  owners  of  horses ;  let  them  satisfy  them- 
selves, and  not  trust  to  the  views  of  the  ignorant ;  by 
doing  so,  great  pleasure  will  accrue  to  themselves  in  the 
use  of  their  horses  and  a  comfortable  enjoyment  in  the 
reflection  that  they  have  not  neglected,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, have  endeavored  to  deal  justly  by  them. 

Very  cordially  your  obedient  servant, 

THE  HORSE'S  FRIEND. 


THE    END 


IFORNIA 


NIA 


